Chapter 1Imam Khomeini (ra) - (1902-1989)

A Brief Biography of Imam Khomeini Hamid Algar

The Table of Contents

[1] Introduction

[2] Childhood and early education

[3] The Years of Spiritual and Intellectual Formation in Qum,1923 to 1962

[4] The Years of Struggle and Exile, 1962-1978 The IslamicRevolution, 1978-79

[5] 1979-89: first decade of the Islamic Republic, last decadeof the Imam's life

[6] Bibliography: Works of Imam Khomeini

[7] About the author

[1] Introduction

It is in many ways remarkable that ten years after his deathand twenty years after the triumph of the revolution that he ledno serious, comprehensive biography of Imam Ruhullah MusaviKhomeini has yet been written, whether in Persian or any otherlanguage. He was, after all, the pre-eminent figure of recentIslamic history, for his impact, considerable enough in Iran

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itself, has also reverberated throughout much of the Muslimworld and helped to transform the worldview and conscious-ness of many Muslims. Indeed, it may be precisely this mag-nitude of the Imam's achievement, together with the complex-ity of his spiritual, intellectual and political personality,that has so far discouraged potential biographers. The materi-als available for the task are, however, as abundant as his ac-complishments were varied, and the present writer hopes totake up thE challenge in the near future (Given the preliminarynature of this essay, it is not extensively footnoted. For a com-plete list of the Imam's works, which furnish the primary ma-terial for his biography, as well as select secondary sources,see the bibliography at the end of the article). What follows istherefore nothing more than a preliminary sketch, intended toacquaint the reader with the outlines of the Imam's life and themain aspects of his persona as an Islamic leader of exceptionalstature.

[2] Childhood and early education

Ruhullah Musavi Khomeini was born on 20 Jamadi al-Akhir1320/ 24 September 1902, the anniversary of the birth ofHazrat Fatima, in the small town of Khumayn, some 160 kilo-metres scholarship. His ancestors, descendants of Imam Musaal-Kazim, the seventh Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt, had migrated to-wards the end of the eighteenth century from their originalhome in Nishapur to the Lucknow region of northern India.There they settled in the small town of Kintur and began devot-ing themselves to the religious instruction and guidance of theregion's predominantly Shi'i population. The most celebratedmember of the family was Mir Hamid Husayn (d. 1880), authorof 'Abaqat al-Anwar fi Imamat al-A'immat al-Athar, a volumin-ous work on the topics traditionally disputed by Sunni and Shi'iMuslims (See Muhammad Riza Hakimi, Mir Hamid Husayn,Qum, 1362 Sh./1983).

Imam Khomeini's grandfather, Sayyid Ahmad, a contempor-ary of Mir Hamid Husayn, left Lucknow some time in themiddle of the nineteenth century on pilgrimage to the tomb ofHazrat 'Ali in Najaf.(However, according to a statement by the

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Imam's elder brother, Sayyid Murtaza Pasandida, his point ofdeparture was Kashmir, not Lucknow; see 'Ali Davani, Nahzat-IRuhaniyun-I Iran, Tehran, n.d., VI, p. 760). While in Najaf,Sayyid Ahmad made the acquaintance of a certain Yusuf Khan,a prominent citizen of Khumayn. Accepting his invitation, hedecided to settle in Khumayn to assume responsibility forthe religious needs of its citizens and also took Yusuf Khan'sdaughter in marriage. Although Sayyid Ahmad's links with In-dia were cut by this decision, he continued to be known to hiscontemporaries as "Hindi," an appellation which was inheritedby his descendants; we see even that Imam Khomeini used"Hindi" as pen name in some of his ghazals (see Divan-I Imam,Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993, p. 50).

Shortly before the outbreak of the Islamic Revolution inFebruary 1978, the Shah's regime attempted to use this Indianelement in the Imam's family background to depict him as analien and traitorous element in Iranian society, an attempt thatas will be seen backfired on its author.

By the time of his death, the date of which is unknown, Sayy-id Ahmad had fathered two children: a daughter by the nameof Sahiba, and Sayyid Mustafa Hindi, born in 1885, the fatherof Imam Khomeini.Sayyid Mustafa began his religious educa-tion in Isfahan with Mir Muhammad Taqi Mudarrisi before con-tinuing his studies in Najaf and Samarra under the guidance ofMirza Hasan Shirazi (d.1894), the principal authority of theage in Shi'i jurisprudence. This corresponded to a pattern ofpreliminary study in Iran followed by advanced study in the'atabat, the shrine cities of Iraq, which for long remainednormative; Imam Khomeini was in fact the first religious leaderof prominence whose formation took place entirely in Iran.

In Dhu 'l-Hijja 1320/ March 1903, some five months after theImam's birth, Sayyid Mustafa was attacked and killed whiletravelling on the road between Khumayn and the neighboringcity of Arak.

The identity of the assassin immediately became known; itwas Ja'far-quli Khan, the cousin of a certain Bahram Khan, oneof the richest landowners of the region. The cause of the assas-sination is,however, difficult to establish with certainty. Ac-cording to an account that became standard after the triumph

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of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyid Mustafa had aroused the an-ger of the local landowners because of his defence of the im-poverished peasantry.

However, Sayyid Mustafa himself, in addition to the religiousfunctions he fulfilled, was also a farmer of moderate prosper-ity, and it is possible that he fell victim to one of the disputesover irrigation rights that were common at the time. A third ex-planation is that Sayyid Mustafa, in his capacity of shar'iajudge of Khumayn, had punished someone for a public violationof the fast of Ramadan and that the family of the offender thenexacted a deadly revenge (Interview of the present writer withHajj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, son of the Imam, Tehran, 12September, 1982). The attempts of Sahiba, Sayyid Mustafa'ssister, to have the killer punished in Khumayn proved fruitless,so his widow, Hajar, went to Tehran to appeal for justice, ac-cording to one account carrying the infant Ruhullah in herarms. She was followed there by her two elder sons, Murtazaand Nur al-Din, and finally, in Rabi' al-Awwal 1323/ May 1925,Ja'far-quli Khan was publicly executed in Tehran on the ordersof 'Ayn al-Dawla, the prime minister of the day.

In 1918, the Imam lost both his aunt, Sahiba, who had playeda great role in his early upbringing, and his mother, Hajar. Re-sponsibility for the family then devolved on the eldest brother,Sayyid Murtaza (later to be known as Ayatullah Pasandida).The material welfare of the brothers seems to have been en-sured by their father's estate, but the insecurity and lawless-ness that had cost him his life continued. In addition to the in-cessant feuds among landowners, Khumayn was plagued bythe raids mounted on the town by the Bakhtiyari and Lurtribesmen whenever they had the chance.

Once when a Bakhtiyari chieftain by the name of Rajab 'Alicame raiding, the young Imam was obliged to take up a rifle to-gether with his brothers and defend the family home. When re-counting these events many years later, the Imam remarked: "Ihave been at war since my childhood." (Imam Khomeini,Sahifa-yi Nur, Tehran, 1361 Sh./1982, X, p. 63). Among the scenes hewitnessed during his youth and that remained in his memory tohelp shape his later political activity mention may also be madeof the arbitrary and oppressive deeds of landowners and pro-vincial governors. Thus he recalled in later years how a newly

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arrived governor had arrested and bastinadoed the chief ofthe merchants' guild of Gulpayagan for no other purpose thanthe intimidation of its citizens (Sahifa-yi Nur, XVI, p. 121).

Imam Khomeini began his education by memorizing theQur'an at a maktab operated near his home by a certain MullaAbu 'l-Qasim; he became a hafiz by the age of seven. He nextembarked on the study of Arabic with Shaykh Ja'far, one of hismother's cousins, and took lessons on other subjects first fromMirza Mahmud Iftikhar al-'Ulama' and then from his maternaluncle, Haji Mirza Muhammad Mahdi. His first teacher in logicwas Mirza Riza Najafi, his brother-in-law. Finally, among his in-structors in Khumayn mention may be made of the Imam's eld-er brother, Murtaza,who taught him Najm al-Din KatibQazvini's al-Mutawwal on badi' and ma'ani and one ofthe treatises of al-Suyuti on grammar and syntax. (AlthoughSayyid Murtaza - who took the surname Pasandida after thelaw mandating the choice of a surname in 1928 - studied for awhile in Isfahan,he never completed the higher levels of reli-gious education; after working for a while in the registrar's of-fice in Khumayn, he moved to Qum where he was to spend therest of his life).

In 1339/1920-21, Sayyid Murtaza sent the Imam to the city ofArak (or Sultanabad, as it was then known) in order for him tobenefit from the more ample educational resources availablethere. Arak had become an important center of religious learn-ing because of the presence of Ayatullah 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri(d.1936), one of the principal scholars of the day. He had ar-rived there in 1332/1914 at the invitation of the townspeople,and some three hundred students - a relatively large number -attended his lectures at the Mirza Yusuf Khan madrasa. It isprobable that Imam Khomeini was notyet advanced enough tostudy directly under Ha'iri; instead, he worked on logic withShaykh Muhammad Gulpayagani, read the Sharh al-Lum'a ofShaykh Zayn al-Din al-'Amili (d. 996/1558)one of the principaltexts of Ja'fari jurisprudence, with Aqa-yi 'Abbas Araki, andcontinued his study of al-Mutawwal with Shaykh Muhammad'Ali Burujirdi. Roughly a year after the Imam's arrival in Arak,Ha'iri accepted a summons from the 'ulama' of Qum to jointhem and preside over their activity. One of the earliest

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strongholds of Shi'ism in Iran, Qum had traditionally been amajor center of religious learning as well as pilgrimage to theshrine of Hazrat-I Ma'suma, a daughter of Imam Musa al-Kazim, but it had been overshadowed for many decades by theshrine cities of Iraq with their superior resources of erudition.

The arrival of Ha'iri in Qum not only brought about a revivalof its madrasas but also began a process whereby the city be-came in effect the spiritual capital of Iran, a process that wascompleted by the political struggle launched there by ImamKhomeini some forty years later. The Imam followed Ha'iri toQum after an interval of roughly four months. This move wasthe first important turning point in his life. It was in Qum thathe received all his advanced spiritual and intellectual training,and he was to retain a deep sense of identification with the citythroughout the rest of his life. It is possible, indeed, althoughnot in a reductive sense, to describe him as a product of Qum.In 1980, when addressing a group of visitors from Qum, he de-clared: "Wherever I may be, I am a citizen of Qum, and takepride in the fact. My heart is always with Qum and its people."(Sahifa-yi Nur, XII, p. 51).

[3] The Years of Spiritual and Intellectual Formation inQum, 1923 to 1962

After his arrival in Qum in 1922 or 1923, the Imam first de-voted himself to completing the preliminary stage of madrasaeducation known as sutuh; this he did by studying with teach-ers such as Shaykh Muhammad Riza Najafi Masjid-i Shahi,Mirza Muhammad Taqi Khwansari, and Sayyid 'Ali YasribiKashani. However, from his early days in Qum, the Imam gavean indication that he was destined to become more than anoth-er great authority on Ja'fari jurisprudence. He showed an ex-ceptional interest in subjects that not only were usually absentfrom the madrasa curriculum but were often an object of hos-tility and suspicion: philosophy, in its various traditionalschools, and gnosticism ('irfan). He began cultivating this in-terest by studying the Tafsir-i Safi, a commentary on theQur'an by the Sufistically-inclined Mulla Muhsin Fayz-i Kashani(d.1091/1680), together with the late Ayatullah 'Ali Araki (d.1994), then a young student like himself. His formal instruction

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in gnosticism and the related discipline of ethics began withclasses taught by Haji Mirza Javad Maliki- Tabrizi, but thisscholar died in 1304/1925. Similarly, the Imam was not able tobenefit for long from his first teacher in philosophy, Mirza 'AliAkbar Hakim Yazdi, a pupil of the great master Mulla HadiSabzavari (d.1295/1878), for Yazdi passed away in 1305/1926.Another of the Imam's early instructors in philosophy wasSayyid Abu 'l-Hasan Qazvini (d. 1355/1976), a scholar ofboth peripatetic and illuminationst philosophy; the Imam atten-ded his circle until Qazvini's departure from Qum in 1310/1931.

The teacher who had the most profound influence on ImamKhomeini's spiritual development was, however, MirzaMuhammad 'Ali Shahabadi (d. 1328 Sh./1950); to him theImam refers in a number of his works as shaykhuna and 'arif-Ikamil, and his relationship with him was that of a muridwith his murshid. When Shahabadi first came to Qum in 1307Sh./1928, the young Imam asked him a question concerningthe nature of revelation, and was captivated by the answer hereceived.

At his insistent request, Shahabadi consented to teach himand a few other select students the Fusus al-Hikam of Ibn 'Ar-abi. Although the basis of instruction was Da'ud Qaysari's com-mentary on the Fusus, the Imam testified that Shahabadi alsopresented his own original insights on the text.

Among the other texts that Imam Khomeini studied withShahabadi were the Manazil al-Sa'irin of the Hanbali Sufi, Kh-waja 'Abdullah Ansari (d.482/1089), and the Misbah al-Uns ofMuhammad b. Hamza Fanari (d. 834/1431), a commentary onthe Mafatih al-Ghayb of Sadr al-Din Qunavi (d.673/1274).

It is conceivable that the Imam derived from Shahabadi, atleast in part, whether consciously or not, the fusion of gnosticand political concerns that came to characterize his life. Forthis spiritual master of the Imam was one of the relatively few'ulama' in the time of Riza Shah to preach publicly against themisdeeds of the regime, and in his Shadharat al-Ma'arif, awork primarily gnostic in character, described Islam as "mostcertainly a political religion." (Shadharat al-Ma'arif, Tehran,136 Sh./1982, pp. 6-7).

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Gnosis and ethics were also the subject of the first classestaught by the Imam. The class on ethics taught by Haji JavadAqa Maliki Tabrizi were resumed, three years after his death,by Shahabadi, and when Shahabadi left for Tehran in 1936 heassigned the class to Imam Khomeini. The class consisted inthe first place of a careful reading of Ansari's Manazil al-Sa'irin, but ranged beyond the text to touch on a wide varietyof contemporary concerns. It proved popular to the extent thatthe townsfolk of Qum as well as the students of the religioussciences attended, and people are related to have come fromas far afield as Tehran and Isfahan simply to listen to theImam. This popularity of the Imam's lectures ran contrary tothe policies of the Pahlavi regime, which wished to limit the in-fluence of the 'ulama' outside the religious teaching institution.The government therefore secured the transfer of the lecturesfrom the prestigious location of the Fayziya madrasa to theMulla Sadiq madrasa, which was unable to accommodate largecrowds.

However, after the deposition of Riza Shah in 1941, the lec-tures returned to the Fayziya madrasa and instantly regainedtheir former popularity. The ability to address the people atlarge, not simply his own colleagues within the religious insti-tution, that the Imam displayed for the first time in these lec-tures on ethics, was to play an important role in the politicalstruggles he led in later years. While teaching ethics to a wideand diverse audience, Imam Khomeini began teaching import-ant texts of gnosis, such as the section on the soul in al-Asfaral-Arba'a of Mulla Sadra (d. 1050/1640) and Sabzavari's Sharh-I Manzuma, to a select group of young scholars that includedMurtaza Mutahhari and Husayn 'Ali Muntaziri, who sub-sequently became two of his principal collaborators in the re-volutionary movement he launched some three decades later.

As for the earliest writings of the Imam, they also indicatethat his primary interest during his early years in Qum wasgnosis. In 1928, for example, he completed the Sharh Du'a' al-Sahar, a detailed commentary on the supplicatory prayers re-cited throughout Ramadan by Imam Muhammad al- Baqir; aswith all Imam Khomeini's works on gnosis, the terminology ofIbn 'Arabi is frequently encountered in this book. Two yearslater, he completed Misbah al-Hidaya ila 'l-Khilafa wa 'l-

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Wilaya,a dense and systematic treatise on the main topics ofgnosis. Another product of the same years of concentration ongnosis was a series of glosses on Qaysari's commentary on theFusus.

In a brief autobiography written for inclusion in a book pub-lished in 1934, the Imam wrote that he spent most of his timestudying and teaching the works of Mulla Sadra; that he hadfor several years been studying gnosis with Shahabadi; andthat at the same time he was attending the classes of AyatullahHa'iri on fiqh (Sayyid 'Ali Riza Yazdi Husayni, Aina-yi Dan-ishvaran, Tehran, 1353/1934, pp.65-7). The sequence of thesestatements suggests that fiqh was as yet secondary among hisconcerns.

This situation was to change, but gnosis was for the Imamnever simply a topic for study, teaching and writing. It re-mained an integral part of his intellectual and spiritual person-ality, and as such infused many of his ostensibly political activ-ities in later years with an unmistakably gnostic element.TheImam did not engage in any overt political activities during the1930's. He always believed that the leadership of politicalactivities should be in the hands of the foremost religiousscholars, and he was therefore obliged to accept the decisionof Ha'iri to remain relatively passive toward the measurestaken by Riza Shah against the traditions and culture of Islamin Iran. In any event, as astill junior figure in the religious insti-tution in Qum, he would have been in no position to mobil-ize popular opinion on a national scale. He was nonetheless incontact with those few 'ulama' who did openly challenge RizaShah, not only Shahabadi, but also men such as Haji NurullahIsfahani, Mirza Sadiq Aqa Tabrizi, Aqazada Kifai, and SayyidHasan Mudarris. He expressed his own opinions of the Pahlaviregime, the leading characteristics of which he identified asoppression and hostility to religion, as yet only allusively, inprivately circulated poems (Sayyid Hamid Ruhani, Barrasi vaTahlili az Nahzat-I Imam Khumayni, I, Najaf, n.d., pp. 55-9).

He assumed a public political stance for the first time in aproclamation dated 15 Urdibihisht 1323/ 4 May 1944 thatcalled for action to deliver the Muslims of Iran and the entire

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Islamic world from the tyranny of foreign powers and their do-mestic accomplices. The Imam begins by citing Qur'an, 34:46("Say: 'I enjoin but one thing upon you, that you rise up for Al-lah, in pairs and singly, and then reflect'"). This is the sameverse that opens the chapter on awakening (bab al-yaqza) atthe very beginning of Ansari's Manazil al-Sa'irin, the handbookof spiritual wayfaring first taught to the Imam by Shahabadi.The Imam's interpretation of "rising up" is, however, both spir-itual and political, both individual and collective, a rebellionagainst lassitude in the self and corruption in society.

The same spirit of comprehensive revolt inspires the firstwork written by the Imam for publication, Kashf al-Asrar(Tehran, 1324 Sh./1945). He is said to have completed thebook in forty eight days from a sense of urgency, and that it in-deed met a need is proven by the fact that it went throughtwo impressions in its first year. The principal aim of the book,as reflected in its title, was to refute 'Ali Akbar Hakamizada'sAsrar-i Hazarsala, a work calling for a "reform" of Shi'i Islam.Similar attacks on Shi'i tradition were being made in the sameperiod by Shari'at Sanglaji (d.1944), an admirer of Wahhabismdespite that sect's marked hostility to Shi'ism, and Ahmad Kas-ravi (d. 1946), competent as a historian but mediocre as athinker. The Imam's vindication of such aspects of Shi'i prac-tice as the mourning ceremonies of Muharram, pilgrimage (zi-yara) to the tombs of the Imams, and the recitation of the sup-plicatory prayers composed by the Imams, was therefore a re-sponse to the criticisms made by all three. Imam Khomeini con-nected their assaults on tradition with the antireligious policiesof Riza Shah and bitterly criticized the Pahlavi regime for des-troying public morality. He stopped short, however, of demand-ing the abolition of the monarchy, proposing instead that an as-sembly of competent mujtahids should choose "a just monarchwho will not violate God's laws and will shun oppression andwrongdoing, who will not transgress against men's property,lives and honor" (Kashf al-Asrar, p. 185). Even this conditionallegitimacy of monarchy was to last "only so long as a bettersystem could not be established" (Kashf al-Asrar, p. 186).There can be no doubt that the "better system" already envis-aged by Imam Khomeini in 1944 was vilayat-i faqih, which

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became the constitutional cornerstone of the Islamic Republicof Iran established in 1979.

When Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri died in 1936, the supervi-sion of the religious institution in Qum had been jointly as-sumed by Ayatullah Khwansari, Ayatullah Sadr, and AyatullahHujjat. A sense of lack was nonetheless felt. When AyatullahAbu 'l-Hasan Isfahani, the principal marja'-i taqlid of the ageresiding in Najaf, died in 1946, the need for a centralized lead-ership of Shi'i Muslims became more felt more acutely, and asearch began for a single individual capable of fulfilling the du-ties and functions of both Ha'iri and Isfahani. Ayatullah Bur-ujirdi, then resident in Hamadan, was seen to be the most suit-able person available, and Imam Khomeini is said to haveplayed an important role in persuading him to come to Qum. Inthis he was no doubt motivated in part by the hope that Bur-ujirdi would adopt a firm position vis—vis Muhammad RizaShah, the second Pahlavi ruler. This hope was to remainlargely unfulfilled. In April 1949, Imam Khomeini learned thatBurujirdi was engaged in negotiations with the governmentconcerning possible emendations to the constitution then inforce, and he wrote him a letter expressing his anxieties aboutthe possible consequences. In 1955, a nationwide campaignagainst the Baha'i sect was launched, for which the Imamsought to recruit Burujirdi's support, but he had little success.As for religious personalities who were militantly active in thepolitical sphere at the time, notably Ayatullah Abu 'l-QasimKashani and Navvab Safavi,the leader of the Fida'iyan-i Islam,the Imam's contacts with them were sporadic and inconclusive.

His reluctance for direct political involvement in this periodwas probably due to his belief that any movement for radicalchange ought to be led by the senior echelons of the religiousestablishment. In addition, the most influential personage onthe crowded and confused political scene of the day was thesecular nationalist, Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq. Imam Khomeinitherefore concentrated during the years of Burujirdi's leader-ship in Qum on giving instruction in fiqh and gathering roundhim students who later became his associates in the movementthat led to the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime, not only Mu-tahhari and Muntaziri, but younger men such as MuhammadJavad Bahonar and 'Ali Akbar Hashimi-Rafsanjani. In 1946,

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he began teaching usul al-fiqh at the kharij level, taking as histext the chapter on rational proofs from the second volume ofthe Kifayat al-Usul of Akhund Muhammad Kazim Khurasani (d.1329/1911).

Initially attended by no more than thirty students, the classbecame so popular in Qum that five hundred were in attend-ance the third time it was offered. According to the reminis-cences of some of those who took the class, it was distin-guished from other classes taught in Qum on the same sub-ject by the critical spirit the Imam instilled in his students, aswell as his ability to connect fiqh with all the other dimensionsof Islam - ethical, gnostic, philosophical, political, and social.

[4] The Years of Struggle and Exile, 1962-1978

The emphases of the Imam's activity began to change withthe death of Burujirdi on March 31, 1961, for he now emergedas one of the successors to Burujirdi's position of leadership.This emergence was signalled by the publication of some of hiswritings on fiqh, most importantly the basic handbook of reli-gious practice entitled, like others of its genre, Tauzih al-Masa'il. He was soon accepted as marja'-i taqlid by a largenumber of Iranian Shi'is. His leadership role was,however, destined to go far beyond that traditional for amarja'-i taqlid and to attain a comprehensiveness unique in thehistory of the Shi'i 'ulama'.

This became apparent soon after the death of Burujirdi whenMuhammad Riza Shah, secure in his possession of power afterthe CIA-organized coup of August 1953, embarked on a seriesof measures designed to eliminate all sources of opposition, ac-tual or potential, and to incorporate Iran firmly into Americanpatterns of strategic and economic domination. In the autumnof 1962, the government promulgated new laws governingelections to local and provincial councils which deleted theformer requirement that those elected be sworn into office onthe Qur'an. Seeing in this a plan to permit the infiltration ofpublic life by the Baha'is, Imam Khomeini telegraphed boththe Shah and the prime minister of the day, warning them todesist from violating both the law of Islam and the Iranian Con-stitution of 1907, failing which the 'ulama' would engage in a

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sustained campaign of protest. Rejecting all compromise meas-ures, the Imam was able to force the repeal of the laws in ques-tion seven weeks after they had been promulgated. Thisachievement marked his emergence on the scene as the prin-cipal voice of opposition to the Shah.

A more serious confrontation was not long in coming. InJanuary 1963, the Shah announced a sixpoint program of re-form that he termed the White Revolution, an American-in-spired package of measures designed to give his regime a lib-eral and progressive facade. Imam Khomeini summoneda meeting of his colleagues in Qum to press upon them the ne-cessity of opposing the Shah's plans, but they were initiallyhesitant. They sent one of their number, Ayatullah Kamalvand,to see the Shah and gauge his intentions. Although the Shahshowed no inclination to retreat or compromise, it took furtherpressure by Imam Khomeini on the other senior 'ulama' of Qumto persuade them to decree a boycott of the referendum thatthe Shah had planned to obtain the appearance of popular ap-proval for his White Revolution. For his own part, ImamKhomeini issued on January 22, 1963 a strongly worded declar-ation denouncing the Shah and his plans. In imitation, perhaps,of his father, who had taken an armored column to Qum in1928 in order to intimidate certain outspoken 'ulama', the Shahcame to Qum two days later. Faced with a boycott by all thedignitaries of the city, he delivered a speech harshly attackingthe 'ulama' as a class.

On January 26, the referendum was held, with a low turnoutthat reflected the growing heed paid by the Iranian people toImam Khomeini's directives. He continued his denunciation ofthe Shah's programs, issuing a manifesto that also bore thesignatures of eight other senior scholars. In it he listed thevarious ways in which the Shah had violated the constition,condemned the spread of moral corruption in the country, andaccused the Shah of comprehensive submission to America andIsrael: "I see the solution to lie in this tyrannical governmentbeing removed, for the crime of violating the ordinances ofIslam and trampling the constitution, and in a government tak-ing its place that adheres to Islam and has concern for the Ira-nian nation" (Sahifa-yi Nur, I, p. 27). He also decreed that theNauruz celebrations for the Iranian year 1342 (which fell on

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March 21, 1963) be cancelled as a sign of protest against gov-ernment policies.

The very next day, paratroopers were sent to the Fayziyamadrasa in Qum, the site where the Imam delivered his publicspeeches. They killed a number of students, beat and arresteda number of others, and ransacked the building. Unintimid-ated, the Imam continued his attacks on the regime. On April1, he denounced the persistent silence of certain apolitical'ulama' as "tantamount to collaboration with the tyrannical re-gime," and one day later proclaimed political neutrality underthe guise of taqiya to be haram (Kauthar, I, p. 67; Sahifa-yiNur, I, p. 39). When the Shah sent his emissaries to the housesof the 'ulama' in Qum to threaten them with the destruction oftheir homes, the Imam reacted contemptuously by referring tothe Shah as "that little man (mardak)." Then, on April 3, 1963,the fortieth day after the attack on the Fayziya madrasa, he de-scribed the Iranian government as being determined to eradic-ate Islam at the behest of America and Israel and himself as re-solved to combat it.

Confrontation turned to insurrection some two months later.The beginning of Muharram, always a time of heightened reli-gious awareness and sensitivity, saw demonstrators in Tehrancarrying pictures of the Imam and denouncing the Shah infront of his own palace. On the afternoon of 'Ashura (June 3,1963), Imam Khomeini delivered a speech at the Fayziyamadrasa in which he drew parallels between the Umayyad ca-liph Yazid and the Shah and warned the Shah that if he didnot change his ways the day would come when the peoplewould offer up thanks for his departure from the country(Sahifa-yi Nur, I, p. 46). This warning was remarkably presci-ent, for on January 16, 1979,the Shah was indeed obliged toleave Iran amidst scenes of popular rejoicing. The immediateeffect of the Imam's speech was, however, his arrest two dayslater at 3 o'clock in the morning by a group of commandos whohastily transferred him to the Qasr prison in Tehran.

As dawn broke on June 3, the news of his arrest spread firstthrough Qum and then to other cities. In Qum, Tehran, Shiraz,Mashhad and Varamin, masses of angry demonstrators wereconfronted by tanks and ruthlessly slaughtered. It was not untilsix days later that order was fully restored. This uprising of 15

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Khurdad 1342 (the day in the Iranian calendar on which itbegan) marked a turning point in Iranian history. Henceforththe repressive and dictatorial nature of the Shah's regime, re-inforced by the unwavering support of the United States, wasconstantly intensified, and with it the prestige of ImamKhomeini as the only figure of note - whether religious or secu-lar - willing to challenge him. The arrogance imbuing theShah's policies also caused a growing number of the 'ulama' toabandon their quietism and align themselves with the radicalgoals set forth by the Imam.The movement of 15 Khurdad maytherefore be characterized as the prelude to the Islamic Re-volution of 1978-79; the goals of that revolution and its leader-ship had already been determined.

After nineteen days in the Qasr prison, Imam Khomeini wasmoved first to the 'Ishratabad military base and then to a housein the Davudiya section of Tehran where he was kept undersurveillance. Despite the killings that had taken place duringthe uprising, mass demonstrations were held in Tehran andelsewhere demanding his release, and some of his colleaguescame to the capital from Qum to lend their support to the de-mand. It was not, however, until April 7, 1964 that he was re-leased, no doubt on the assumption that imprisonment hadtempered his views and that the movement he had led wouldquietly subside. Three days after his release and return toQum, he dispelled such illusions by refuting officially inspiredrumors that he had come to an understanding with the Shah'sregime and by declaring that the movement inaugurated on 15Khurdad would continue. Aware of the persisting differences inapproach between the Imam and some of the other senior reli-gious scholars, the regime had also attempted to discredit himby creating dissension in Qum.

These attempts, too, were unsuccessful, for early in June1964 all the major 'ulama' put their signatures to declarationscommemorating the first anniversary of the uprising of 15Khurdad. Despite its failure to sideline or silence ImamKhomeini, the Shah's regime continued its pro- Americanpolicies unwaveringly. In the autumn of 1964, it concluded astatus of forces agreement with the United States thatprovided immunity from prosecution for all American person-nel in Iran and their dependents. This occasioned the Imam to

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deliver what was perhaps the most vehement speech of the en-tire struggle against the Shah; certainly one of his close associ-ates, Ayatullah Muhammad Mufattih, had never seen him soagitated (Interview with the present writer, Tehran, Decem-ber 1979). He denounced the agreement as a surrender of Ira-nian independence and sovereignty, made in exchange for a$200 million loan that would be of benefit only to the Shah andhis associates, and described as traitors all those in the Majliswho voted in favor of it; the government lacked all legitimacy,he concluded (Kauthar, I, pp. 169-178).

Shortly before dawn on November 4, 1964, again a detach-ment of commandos surrounded the Imam's house in Qum, ar-rested him, and this time took him directly to Mehrabad airportin Tehran for immediate banishment to Turkey. The decision todeport rather than arrest Imam Khomeini and imprison him inIran was based no doubt on the hope that in exile he wouldfade from popular memory. Physical elimination would havebeen fraught with the danger of an uncontrollable popular up-rising. As for the choice of Turkey, this reflected the securitycooperation existing between the Shah's regime and Turkey.

The Imam was first lodged in room 514 of Bulvar Palas Oteliin Ankara, a moderately comfortable hotel in the Turkish capit-al, under the joint surveillance of Iranian and Turkish securityofficials. On November 12, he was moved from Ankara toBursa, where he was to reside another eleven months. The stayin Turkey cannot have been congenial, for Turkish law forbadeImam Khomeini to wear the cloak and turban of the Muslimscholar, an identity which was integral to his being; thesole photographs in existence to show him bareheaded all be-long to the period of exile in Turkey (See Ansari, Hadis-I Bid-ari, p. 67). However, on December 3, 1964, he was joined inBursa by his eldest son, Hajj Mustafa Khumayni; he was alsopermitted to receive occasional visitors from Iran, andwas supplied with a number of books on fiqh. He made use ofhis forced stay in Bursa to compile Tahrir al-Wasila, a two-volume compendium on questions of jurisprudence. Importantand distinctive are the fatvas this volume contains, grouped un-der the headings of al-amr bi 'l-ma'ruf wa 'l-nahy 'an almunk-ar and difa'.

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The Imam decrees, for example, that "if it is feared that thepolitical and economic domination (by foreigners) over anIslamic land will lead to the enslavement and weakening of theMuslims, then such domination must be repelled by appropri-ate means, including passive resistance, the boycott of foreigngoods, and the abandonment of all dealings and associationwith the foreigners in question.Similarly, "if an attack by for-eigners on one of the Islamic states is anticipated, it is incum-bent on all Islamic states to repel the attack by all possiblemeans; indeed, this is incumbent on the Muslims as a whole"(Tahrir al-Wasila, I, p. 486).

On September 5, 1965, Imam Khomeini left Turkey for Najafin Iraq, where he was destined to spend thirteen years. As atraditional center of Shi'i learning and pilgrimage, Najaf wasclearly a preferable and more congenial place of exile. It had,moreover, already functioned as a stronghold of 'ulama' opposi-tion to the Iranian monarchy during the Constitutional Revolu-tion of 1906-1909.But it was not in order to accommodate theImam that the Shah arranged for his transfer to Najaf. First,there was continuing disquiet among the Imam's followers athis forced residence in Bursa, away from the traditional milieuof the Shi'i madrasa; such objections could be met by movinghim to Najaf. Second, it was hoped that once in Najaf, theImam would either be overshadowed by the prestigious 'ulama'there, men such as Ayatullah Abu 'l-Qasim Khu'i (d. 1995), orthat he would challenge their distaste for political activism andsquander his energies on confronting them. He skirted thisdual danger by proffering them his respect while continuing topursue the goals he had set himself before leaving Iran. Anoth-er pitfall he avoided was association with the Iraqi govern-ment which occasionally had its own differences with theShah's regime and was of a mind to use the Imam's presence inNajaf for its own purposes.

The Imam declined the opportunity to be interviewed onIraqi television soon after his arrival, and resolutely kept hisdistance from succeeding Iraqi administrations. Once settled inNajaf, Imam Khomeini began teaching fiqh at the Shaykh Mur-taza Ansari madrasa. His lectures were well attended, by stu-dents not only from Iran but also from Iraq, India,

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Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf states. In fact, amass migration to Najaf from Qum and other centers of reli-gious learning in Iran was proposed to the Imam, but he ad-vised against it as a measure bound to depopulate Qum andweaken it as a center of religious guidance.

It was also at the Shaykh Murtaza Ansari madrasa that hedelivered, between January 21 and February 8, 1970, his celeb-rated lectures on vilayat-i faqih, the theory of governance thatwas to be implemented after the triumph of the Islamic Revolu-tion. (The text of these lectures was published in Najaf, notlong after their delivery, under the title Vilayat-i Faqih yaHukumat-i Islami ; a slightly abbreviated Arabic translationsoon followed). This theory, which may be summarized asthe assumption by suitably qualified 'ulama' of the political andjuridical functions of the Twelfth Imam during his occultation,had already been put forward, somewhat tentatively, in hisfirst published work, Kashf al-Asrar. Now he presented it asthe self-evident and incontestable consequence of the Shi'i doc-trine of the Imamate, citing and analyzing in support of it allrelevant texts from the Qur'an and the traditions of the Proph-et (s.a.w.s) and the Twelve Imams (a.s.) He emphasized alsothe harm that had come to Iran (as well as other Muslim coun-tries) from abandoning Islamic law and government and relin-quishing the political realm to the enemies of Islam. Finally, hedelineated a program for the establishment of an Islamic gov-ernment, laying particular stress on the responsibilities of the'ulama' to transcend their petty concerns and to address thepeople fearlessly:"It is the duty of all of us to overthrow thetaghut, the illegitimate political powers that now rule the en-tire Islamic world" (Vilayat-i Faqih, Najaf, n.d., p. 204).

The text of the lectures on vilayat-i faqih was smuggled backto Iran by visitors who came to see the Imam in Najaf, as wellas by ordinary Iranians who came on pilgrimage to the shrineof Hazrat 'Ali (a.s.) The same channels were used to convey toIran the numerous letters and proclamations in which theImam commented on the events that took place in his home-land during the long years of exile. The first such document, aletter to the Iranian 'ulama' assuring them of the ultimatedownfall of the Shah's regime, is dated April 16, 1967. On the

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same day he also wrote to prime minister Amir 'Abbas Huvaydaaccusing him of running "a regime of terror and thievery"(Sahifa-yi Nur, I, pp. 129,132).

On the occasion of the Six Day War in June 1967, the Imamissued a declaration forbidding any type of dealing with Israelas well as the consumption of Israeli goods. This declarationwas widely and openly publicized in Iran, which led to the ran-sacking of Imam Khomeini's house in Qum and the arrest ofHajj Sayyid Ahmad Khumayni, his second son, who had beenliving there. (Some of the unpublished works of the Imam werelost or destroyed on this occasion). It was also at this timethat the Shah's regime contemplated moving the Imam fromIraq to India, a location from which communications with Iranwould have been far more difficult, but the plan was thwarted.Other developments on which the Imam commented from Na-jaf were the extravagant celebrations of 2500 years of Iranianmonarchy in October 1971 ("it is the duty of the Iranian peopleto refrain from participation in this illegitimate festival"); theformal establishment of a one-party system in Iran in February1975 (the Imam prohibited membership in the party, the Hizb-iRastakhiz, in a fatva issued the following month); and the sub-stitution, in the same month, of the imperial (shahanshahi) cal-endar for the solar Hijri calendar that had been official in Iranuntil that time. Some developments were met with fatvasrather than proclamations: for example, the Imam rejectedas incompatible with Islam the Family Protection Law of 1967and classified as adultresses women who remarried after ob-taining a divorce under its provisions (Imam Khomeini, Risala-yi Ahkam, p. 328).

Imam Khomeini had also to deal with changing circum-stances in Iraq. The Ba'th Party, fundamentally hostile to reli-gion, had come to power in July 1967 and soon began exertingpressure on the scholars of Najaf, both Iraqi and Iranian. In1971, as Iraq and Iran entered a state of sproradic and un-declared war with each other, the Iraqi regime began expellingfrom its territory Iranians whose forebears had in some casesbeen residing there for generations. The Imam, who until thatpoint had scrupulously kept his distance from Iraqi officialdom,

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now addressed himself directly to the Iraqi leadership con-demning its actions. Imam Khomeini was, in fact, constantlyand acutely aware of the connections between Iranian affairsand those of the Muslim world in general and the Arab lands inparticular. This awareness led him to issue from Najaf a pro-clamation to the Muslims of the world on the occasion of thehajj in 1971, and to comment, with special frequency and em-phasis, on the problems posed by Israel for the Muslim world.

The Imam's strong concern for the Palestine question led himto issue a fatva on August 27, 1968 authorizing the use of reli-gious monies (vujuh-i shar'i) to support the nascent activities ofal-'Asifa, the armed wing of the Palestine Liberation Organiza-tion; this was confirmed by a similar and more detailed rulingissued after a meeting with the Baghdad representative of thePLO (Sahifa-yi Nur, I,pp. 144-5).

The distribution in Iran, on however limited a scale, of theproclamations and fatvas of Imam Khomeini was in itselfenough to ensure that his name not be forgotten during theyears of exile. Equally important, the movement of Islamic op-position to the Shah's regime that had been inaugurated by theuprising of 15 Khurdad continued to develop despite the bru-tality unhesitatingly dispensed by the Shah. Numerous groupsand individuals explicitly owed their allegiance to the Imam.Soon after his exiling there came into being an organizationcalled Hay'atha-yi Mu'talifa-yi Islami (the Allied Islamic Associ-ations), headquartered in Tehran but with branchesthroughout Iran. Active in it were many who had been studentsof the Imam in Qum and who came to assume important re-sponsibilities after the revolution, men such as Hashimi-Raf-sanjani and Javad Bahunar.

In January 1965, four members of the organization assassin-ated Hasan 'Ali Mansur, the prime minister who had been re-sponsible for the exiling of the Imam. There were no individu-als designated, even clandestinely, as Imam Khomeini's author-ized representatives in Iran while he was in exile. However,senior 'ulama' such as Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, AyatullahSayyid Muhammad Husayn Bihishti (d. 1981), and AyatullahHusayn 'Ali Muntaziri, were in contact with him, directlyand indirectly, and were known to speak on his behalf in

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important matters. Like their younger counterparts in theHay'atha-yi Mu'talafa-yi Islami, all three went on to performimportant functions during and after the revolution.

The continued growth of the Islamic movement during ImamKhomeini's exile should not be attributed exclusively to hisabiding influence or to the activity of 'ulama' associated withhim. Important, too, were the lectures and books of 'AliShari'ati (d. 1977), a university-educated intellectual whose un-derstanding and presentation of Islam were influenced byWestern ideologies, including Marxism, to a degree that many'ulama' regarded as dangerously syncretistic. When the Imamwas asked to comment on the theories of Shari'ati, both bythose who supported them and by those who opposed them, hediscreetly refrained from doing so, in order not to create a divi-sion within the Islamic movement that would have benefitedthe Shah's regime. The most visible sign of the persisting pop-ularity of Imam Khomeini in the pre-revolutionary years, aboveall at the heart of the religious institution in Qum, came in June1975 on the anniversary of the uprising of 15 Khurdad. Stu-dents at the Fayziya madrasa began holding a demonstrationwithin the confines of the building, and a sympathetic crowdassembled outside. Both gatherings continued for three daysuntil they were attacked on the ground by commandos andfrom the air by a military helicopter, with numerous deathsresulting. The Imam reacted with a message in which he de-clared the events in Qum and similar disturbances elsewhereto be a sign of hope that "freedom and liberation from thebonds of imperialism" were at hand (Sahifa-yi Nur, I, p. 215).The beginning of the revolution came indeed some two and ahalf years later.

[5] The Islamic Revolution, 1978-79

The chain of events that ended in February 1979 with theoverthrow of the Pahlavi regime and the foundation of theIslamic Republic began with the death in Najaf on October 23,1977 of Hajj Sayyid Mustafa Khomeini, unexpectedly and un-der mysterious circumstances. This death was widely attrib-uted to the Iranian security police, SAVAK, and protest meet-ings took place in Qum, Tehran, Yazd, Mashhad, Shiraz, and

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Tabriz. Imam Khomeini himself, with the equanimity he cus-tomarily displayed in the face of personal loss, described thedeath of his son as one of the "hidden favors" (altaf-i khafiya) ofGod, and advised the Muslims of Iran to show fortitude andhope (Shahidi digar az ruhaniyat, Najaf, n.d., p. 27).

The esteem in which Imam Khomeini was held and the reck-less determination of the Shah's regime to undermine that es-teem were demonstrated once again on January 7, 1978 whenan article appeared in the semi-official newspaper Ittila'at at-tacking him in scurrilous terms as a traitor working togetherwith foreign enemies of the country. The next day a furiousmass protest took place in Qum; it was suppressed by the se-curity forces with heavy loss of life. This was the first in aseries of popular confrontations that, gathering momentumthroughout 1978, soon turned into a vast revolutionary move-ment, demanding the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime and theinstallation of an Islamic government.

The martyrs of Qum were commemorated forty days laterwith demonstrations and shop closures in every major city ofIran. Particularly grave were the disturbances in Tabriz, whichended only after more than 100 people had been killed by theShah's troops. On March 29, the fortieth day after the killingsin Tabriz was marked by a further round of demonstrations, insome fifty-five Iranian cities; this time the heaviest casualtiesoccurred in Yazd, where security forces opened fire on a gath-ering in the main mosque. In early May, it was Tehran itselfthat saw the principal violence; armored columns appeared onthe streets for the first time since June 1963 in order to containthe trend to revolution. In June, the Shah found it politic tomake a number of superficial concessions - such as the repealof the "imperial calendar" - to the forces opposing him, but re-pression also continued. When the government lost control ofIsfahan on August 17, the army assaulted the city and killedhundreds of unarmed demonstrators. Two days later, 410people were burned to death behind the locked doors of acinema in Abadan, and the government was plausibly heldresponsible.

On 'Id al-fitr, which that year fell on September 4, marchestook place in all major cities, with an estimated total of four

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million participants. The demand was loudly voiced for the ab-olition of monarchy and the foundation of an Islamic govern-ment under the leadership of Imam Khomeini.

Faced with the mounting tide of revolution, the Shah decreedmartial law and forbade further demonstrations. On September9, a crowd gathered at the Maydan-I Zhala (subsequentlyrenamed Maydan-I Shuhada') in Tehran was attacked by troopsthat had blocked all exits from the square, and some 2000people were killed at this location alone. Another 2000 werekilled elsewhere in Tehran by American-supplied military heli-copters hovering overhead. This day of massacre, which cameto be known as Black Friday, marked the point of no return.Too much blood had been spilt for the Shah to have any hopeof survival, and the army itself began to tire of the task ofslaughter.

As these events were unfolding in Iran, Imam Khomeini de-livered a whole series of messages and speeches whichreached his homeland not only in printed form but also increas-ingly on tape cassettes. His voice could be heard congratulat-ing the people for their sacrifices, denouncing the Shah in cat-egorical fashion as a criminal, and underlining the responsibil-ity of the United States for the killings and the repression.(Ironically, US President Carter had visited Tehran on NewYear's Eve 1977 and lauded the Shah for creating "an island ofstability in one of the more troubled areas of the world" (NewYork Times, January 2, 1978). As the fade of stability dissolved,the United States continued its military and political support ofthe Shah uninterrupted by anything but the most superficialhesitation). Most importantly, the Imam recognized that aunique juncture had been reached in Iranian history, that agenuinely revolutionary momentum had come into being whichif dissipated would be impossible to rebuild. He thereforewarned against any tendency to compromise or to be deceivedby the sporadic conciliatory gestures of the Shah.

Thus on the occasion of 'Id al-Fitr, when mass demonstra-tions had passed off with deceptive peacefulness in Tehran, heissued the following declaration: "Noble people of Iran ! Pressforward with your movement and do not slacken for a minute,as I know full well you will not! Let no one imagine that afterthe blessed month of Ramadan his God-given duties have

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changed. These demonstrations that break down tyranny andadvance the goals of Islam are a form of worship that is notconfined to certain months or days, for the aim is to save thenation, to enact Islamic justice,and to establish a form of divinegovernment based on justice" (Sahifa-yi Nur, I, p. 97).

In one of the numerous miscalculations that marked his at-tempts to destroy the revolution, the Shah decided to seek thedeportation of Imam Khomeini from Iraq, on the assumption,no doubt, that once removed from the prestigious location ofNajaf and its proximity to Iran, his voice would somehow be si-lenced. The agreement of the Iraqi government was obtainedat a meeting between the Iraqi and Iranian foreign ministers inNew York, and on September 24, 1978, the Imam's house inNajaf was surrounded by troops. He was informed that his con-tinued residence in Iraq was contingent on his abandoningpolitical activity, a condition he was sure to reject. On October3, he left Iraq for Kuwait, but was refused entry at the border.After a period of hesitation in which Algeria, Lebanon andSyria were considered as possible destinations, ImamKhomeini embarked for Paris, on the advice of his second son,Hajj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, who by now had joined him.

Once arrived in Paris, the Imam took up residence in the sub-urb of Neauphle-le-Chateau in a house that had been rented forhim by Iranian exiles in France. Residence in a non-Muslimland was no doubt experienced by Imam Khomeini as irksome,and in the declaration he issued from Neauphle-le-Chateau onOctober 11, 1978, the fortieth day after the massacres of BlackFriday, he announced his intention of moving to any Muslimcountry that assured him freedom of speech (Sahifa-yi Nur, II,p. 143). No such assurance ever materialized. In addition, hisforced removal from Najaf increased popular anger in Iran stillfurther. It was, however, the Shah's regime that turned out tobe the ultimate loser from this move. Telephonic communica-tions with Tehran were far easier from Paris than they hadbeen from Najaf, thanks to the Shah's determination to linkIran with the West in every possible way, and the messagesand instructions the Imam issued flowed forth uninterruptedfrom the modest command center he established in a smallhouse opposite his residence. Moreover, a host of journalistsfrom across the world now made their way to France, and the

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image and the words of the Imam soon became a daily featurein the world's media.

In Iran meanwhile, the Shah was continuously reshaping hisgovernment. First he brought in as prime minister Sharif-Imami, an individual supposedly close to conservative elementsamong the 'ulama. Then, on November 6, he formed a militarygovernment under General Ghulam-Riza Azhari, a move expli-citly recommended by the United States. These political man-euvrings had essentially no effect on the progress of the re-volution. On November 23, one week before the beginning ofMuharram, the Imam issued a declaration in which he likenedthe month to "a divine sword in the hands of the soldiers ofIslam, our great religious leaders and respected preachers,and all the followers of Imam Husayn, sayyid al-shuhada'."They must, he continued, "make maximum use of it; trusting inthe power of God, they must tear out the remaining roots ofthis tree of oppression and treachery." As for the military gov-ernment, it was contrary to the shari'ah, and opposition to it areligious duty (Sahifa-yi Nur, III, p. 225).

Vast demonstrations unfurled across Iran as soon as Muhar-ram began. Thousands of people donned white shrouds as atoken of readiness for martyrdom and were cut down as theydefied the nightly curfew. On Muharram 9, a million peoplemarched in Tehran demanding the overthrow of the monarchy,and the following day, 'Ashura, more than two million demon-strators approved by acclamation a seventeen-point declara-tion of which the most important demand was the formation ofan Islamic government headed by the Imam. Killings by thearmy continued, but military discipline began to crumble, andthe revolution acquired an economic dimension with the pro-clamation of a national strike on December 18. With his regimecrumbling, the Shah now attempted to coopt secular, liberal-nationalist politicians in order to forestall the foundation of anIslamic government. On January 3, 1979, Shahpur Bakhtiyar ofthe National Front (Jabha-yi Milli) was appointed prime minis-ter to replace General Azhari, and plans were drawn up for theShah to leave the country for what was advertised as a tempor-ary absence. On January 12, the formation of a nine-memberregency council was announced; headed by Jalal al-Din Tihrani,

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an individual proclaimed to have religious credentials, it was torepresent the Shah's authority in his absence. None of thesemaneuvers distracted the Imam from the goal now increasinglywithin reach. The very next day after the formation of the re-gency council, he proclaimed from Neauphle-le-Chateau theformation of the Council of the Islamic Revolution (Shaura-yiInqilab-i Islami), a body entrusted with establishing a trans-itional government to replace the Bakhtiyar administration. OnJanuary 16, amid scenes of feverish popular rejoicing, the Shahleft Iran for exile and death.

What remained now was to remove Bakhtiyar and prevent amilitary coup d'etat enabling the Shah to return. The first ofthese aims came closer to realization when Sayyid Jalal al-DinTihrani came to Paris in order to seek a compromise withImam Khomeini. He refused to see him until he resigned fromthe regency council and pronounced it illegal. As for the milit-ary, the gap between senior generals, unconditionally loyal tothe Shah, and the growing number of officers and recruits sym-pathetic to the revolution, was constantly growing. When theUnited States dispatched General Huyser, commander ofNATO land forces in Europe, to investigate the possibility of amilitary coup, he was obliged to report that it was pointlesseven to consider such a step. Conditions now seemed appropri-ate for Imam Khomeini to return to Iran and preside over thefinal stages of the revolution. After a series of delays, includingthe military occupation of Mehrabad airport from January 24 to30, the Imam embarked on a chartered airliner of Air Franceon the evening of January 31 and arrived in Tehran the follow-ing morning. Amid unparalleled scenes of popular joy - it hasbeen estimated that more than ten million people gathered inTehran to welcome the Imam back to his homeland - he pro-ceeded to the cemetery of Bihisht-i Zahra to the southof Tehran where the martyrs of the revolution lay buried.There he decried the Bakhtiyar administration as the "lastfeeble gasp of the Shah's regime" and declared his intention ofappointing a government that would "punch Bakhtiyar's gov-ernment in the mouth." (Sahifa-yi Nur, IV, pp. 281-

6). The appointment of the provisional Islamic governmentthe Imam had promised came on

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February 5. Its leadership was entrusted to Mahdi Bazargan,an individual who had been active for many years in variousIslamic organizations, most notably the Freedom Movement(Nahzat-i Azadi).

The decisive confrontation came less than a week later.Faced with the progressive disintegration of the armed forcesand the desertion of many officers and men, together withtheir weapons, to the Revolutionary Committees that werespringing up everywhere, Bakhtiyar decreed a curfew inTehran to take effect at 4 p.m. On February 10. ImamKhomeini ordered that the curfew should be defied and warnedthat if elements in the army loyal to the Shah did not desistfrom killing the people, he would issue a formal fatva for jihad(Sahifa-yi Nur, V, p. 75). The following day the Supreme Milit-ary Council withdrew its support from Bakhtiyar, and onFebruary 12, 1979, all organs of the regime, political, adminis-trative, and military, finally collapsed.

The revolution had triumphed. Clearly no revolution can beregarded as the work of a single man, nor can its causes be in-terpreted in purely ideological terms; economic and social de-velopments had helped to prepare the ground for the revolu-tionary movement of 1978-79. There was also marginal involve-ment in the revolution, particularly during its final stages whenits triumph seemed assured, by secular, liberal-nationalist, andleftist elements. But there can be no doubting the centrality ofImam Khomeini's role and the integrally Islamic nature of therevolution he led. Physically removed from his countrymenfor fourteen years, he had an unfailing sense of the revolution-ary potential that had surfaced and was able to mobilize thebroad masses of the Iranian people for the attainment of whatseemed to many inside the country (including his chosenpremier, Bazargan) a distant and excessively ambitious goal.

His role pertained, moreover, not merely to moral inspirationand symbolic leadership; he was also the operational leader ofthe revolution. Occasionally he accepted advice on details ofstrategy from persons in Iran, but he took all key decisionshimself, silencing early on all advocates of compromise withthe Shah. It was the mosques that were the organizationalunits of the revolution and mass prayers, demonstrations and

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martyrdom that were - until the very last stage - its principalweapons.

[6] 1979-89: first decade of the Islamic Republic, lastdecade of the Imam's life

Imam Khomeini's role was also central in shaping the newpolitical order that emerged from the revolution, the IslamicRepublic of Iran. At first it appeared that he might exercise hisdirective role from Qum, for he moved there from Tehran onFebruary 29, causing Qum to become in effect a second capitalof Iran. On March 30 and 31, a nationwide referendum resul-ted in a massive vote in favor of the establishment of an IslamicRepublic. The Imam proclaimed the next day, April 1, 1979,asthe "first day of God's government" (Sahifa-yi Nur, V, p. 233).The institutionalization of the new order continued with theelection, on August 3, of an Assembly of Experts (Majlis-IKhubragan), entrusted with the task of reviewing a draft con-stitution that had been put forward on June 18; fiftyfive of theseventy-three persons elected were religious scholars.

It was not however to be expected that a smooth transitionfrom the old regime would prove possible. The powers and du-ties of the Council of the Islamic Revolutionary, which was in-tended to serve as an interim legislature, were not clearly de-lineated from those of the provisional government headed byBazargan. More importantly, significant differences of outlookand approach separated the two bodies from each other. Thecouncil, composed predominantly of 'ulama', favored immedi-ate and radical change and sought to strengthen the revolu-tionary organs that had come into being - the revolutionarycommittees, the revolutionary courts charged with punishingmembers of the former regime charged with serious crimes,and the Corps of Guards of the Islamic Revolution (Sipah-IPasdaran-I Inqilab-I Islami), established on May 5, 1979. Thegovernment, headed by Bazargan and comprising mainly liber-al technocrats of Islamic orientation, sought as swift a normal-ization of the situation as possible and the gradual phasing outof the revolutionary institutions.

Although Imam Khomeini encouraged members of the twobodies to cooperate and refrained, on most occasions, from

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arbitrating their differences, his sympathies were clearly withthe Council of the Islamic Revolution. On July 1, Bazarganoffered the Imam his resignation. It was refused, and fourmembers of the council - Rafsanjani, Bahunar, Mahdavi-Kani,and Ayatullah Sayyid 'Ali Khamna'i - joined Bazargan's cabinetin an effort to improve the coordination of the two bodies.In addition to these frictions at the governmental level, a fur-ther element of instability was provided by the terrorist activit-ies of shadowy groups that were determined to rob the nascentIslamic republic of some of its most capable personalities. Thuson May 1, 1979, Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari, a leading mem-ber of the Council of the Islamic Revolution and a former pupilclose to the Imam's heart, was assassinated in Tehran. Foronce, the Imam wept in an open display of grief. The finalbreak between Bazargan and the revolution came as a con-sequence of the occupation of the United States embassy inTehran on November 4, 1979 by a coalition of students fromthe universities of Tehran. Despite declarations of willingnessto "honor the will of the Iranian people" and its recognition ofthe Islamic Republic, the American government had admittedthe Shah to the United States on October 22, 1979.

The pretext was his need for medical treatment, but it waswidely feared in Iran that his arrival in America, where largenumbers of high-ranking officials of the previous regime hadgathered, might be the prelude to an American-sponsored at-tempt to restore him to power, on the lines of the successfulCIA coup of August 1953. The Shah's extradition to Iran wastherefore demanded by the students occupying the embassy asa condition for their liberating the hostages they were hold-ing there.

It is probable that the students had cleared their action inadvance with close associates of Imam Khomeini, for he swiftlyextended his protection to them, proclaiming their action "agreater revolution than the first" (Sahifa-yi Nur, X, p. 141).Two days later, he predicted that confronted by this "secondrevolution," America would be "unable to do a damned thing(Amrika hich ghalati namitavanad bukunad)" (Sahifa-yi Nur, X,p. 149). This prediction seemed extravagant to many in Iran,but a military expedition mounted by the United States on April22, 1980 to rescue the American hostages and possibly, too, to

30

attack sensitive sites in Tehran, came to an abrupt and humili-ating end when the American gunships crashed into each otherin a sandstorm near Tabas in south-eastern Iran. On April 7,the United States had formally broken diplomatic ties withIran, a move welcomed by Imam Khomeini as an occasion of re-joicing for the Iranian nation (Sahifa-yi Nur,XII, p. 40). It wasnot until January 21, 1981 that the American hostages were fi-nally released.

Two days after the occupation of the US embassy, Bazarganonce again offered his resignation, and this time it was accep-ted. In addition, the provisional government was dissolved, andthe Council of the Islamic Revolution temporarily assumed thetask of running the country. This marked the definitive depar-ture of Bazargan and like-minded individuals from the scene;henceforth the term "liberal" became a pejorative designationfor those who questioned the fundamental tendencies of the re-volution. In addition, the students occupying the embassy hadaccess to extensive files the Americans had kept on various Ira-nian personalities who had frequented the embassy over theyears; these documents were now published and discreditedthe personalities involved. Most importantly, the occupation ofthe embassy constituted a "second revolution" in that Iran nowoffered a unique example of defiance of the American super-power and became established for American policymakers astheir principal adversary in the Middle East.

The enthusiasm aroused by the occupation of the embassyalso helped to ensure a large turnout for the referendum thatwas held on December 2 and 3, 1979 to ratify the constitutionthat had been approved by the Assembly of Experts on Novem-ber 15. The constitution, which was overwhelmingly approved,differed greatly from the original draft, above all through its in-clusion of the principle of vilayat-i faqih as its basic and de-termining principle. Mentioned briefly in the preamble, it wasspelled out in full in Article Five: "During the Occultation of theLord of the Age (Sahib al-Zaman; i.e., the Twelfth Imam) thegovernance and leadership of the nation devolve upon the justand pious faqih who is acquainted with the circumstances ofhis age; courageous, resourceful, and possessed of administrat-ive ability; and recognized and accepted as leader (rahbar) by

31

the majority of the people. In the event that no faqih should beso recognized by the majority, the leader, or leadership coun-cil, composed of fuqaha' possessing the aforementioned quali-fications, will assume these responsibilities." Article 109 spe-cified the qualifications and attributes of the leader as "suitab-ility with respect to learning and piety, as required for thefunctions of mufti and marja'." Article 110 listed his powers,which include supreme command of the armed forces, appoint-ment of the head of the judiciary, signing the decree formaliz-ing the election of the president of the republic, and - undercertain conditions - dismissing him (Qanun-i Asasi-yi Jumhuri-yi Islami-yi Iran, Tehran, 1370 Sh./1991, pp. 23-24, 53-58).

These articles formed the constitutional basis for ImamKhomeini's leadership role. In addition, from July 1979 on-wards, he had been appointing Imam Jum'a's for every majorcity, who not only delivered the Friday sermon but also actedas his personal representatives.

Most government institutions also had a representative ofthe Imam assigned to them. However, the ultimate source ofhis influence was his vast moral and spiritual prestige, whichled to him being designated primarily as Imam, in the sense ofone dispensing comprehensive leadership to the community(Suggestions that the use of this title assimilated him to theTwelve Imams of Shi'i belief and hence attributed infallibility tohim are groundless).

On January 23, 1980, Imam Khomeini was brought from Qumto Tehran to receive treatment for a heart ailment. After thirty-nine days in hospital, he took up residence in the north Tehransuburb of Darband, and on April 22 he moved into a modesthouse in Jamaran, another suburb to the north of the capital. Aclosely guarded compound grew up around the house, and itwas there that he was destined to spend the rest of his life.

On January 25, during the Imam's hospitalization, Abu 'l-Has-an Bani Sadr, a French-educated economist, was elected firstpresident of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His success had beenmade possible in part by the Imam's decision that it was notopportune to have a religious scholar stand for election. Thisevent, followed on March 14 by the first elections to the Majlis,

32

might have counted as a further step to the institutionalizationand stabilization of the political system.

However, Bani Sadr's tenure, together with the tensions thatsoon arose between him and a majority of the deputies in theMajlis, occasioned a severe crisis that led ultimately to BaniSadr's dismissal. For the president, his inherent megalomaniaaggravated by his victory at the polls, was reluctant to concedesupremacy to Imam Khomeini, and he therefore attempted tobuild up a personal following, consisting largely of former left-ists who owed their positions exclusively to him. In this enter-prise, he inevitably clashed with the newly formed Islamic Re-public Party (Hizb-i Jumhuri-yi Islami), headed by Ayatullah Bi-hishti, which dominated the Majlis and was loyal to what wasreferred to as "the line of the Imam" (khatt-i Imam). As he hadearlier done with the disputes between the provisional govern-ment and the Council of the Islamic Revolution, the Imamsought to reconcile the parties, and on September 11 1980 ap-pealed to all branches of government and their members to setaside their differences.

While this new governmental crisis was brewing, on Septem-ber 22, 1980, Iraq sent its forces across the Iranian border andlaunched a war of aggression that was to last for almost eightyears. Iraq enjoyed financial support in this venture from theArab states lining the Persian Gulf, above all from Saudi Ara-bia. Imam Khomeini, however, correctly regarded the UnitedStates as the principal instigator of the war from the outset,and American involvement became increasingly visible asthe war wore on. Although Iraq advanced territorial claimsagainst Iran, the barely disguised purpose of the aggressionwas to take advantage of the dislocations caused in Iran by therevolution, particularly the weakening of the army throughpurges of disloyal officers, and to destroy the Islamic Repub-lic. As he had done during the revolution, Imam Khomeini in-sisted on an uncompromising stance and inspired a steadfastresistance which prevented the easy Iraqi victory many foreignobservers had confidently foretold. Initially, however, Iraq en-joyed some success, capturing the port city of Khurramshahrand encircling Abadan.

The conduct of the war became one more issue at disputebetween Bani Sadr and his opponents. Continuing his efforts at

33

reconciling the factions, Imam Khomeini established a three-man commission to investigate the complaints each hadagainst the other. The commission reported on June 1, 1981that Bani Sadr was guilty of violating the constitution and con-travening the Imam's instructions.He was accordingly declaredincompetent by the Majlis to function as president, and thenext day, in accordance with Article 110 section (e) of the con-stitution, Imam Khomeini dismissed him. He went into hiding,and on July 28 fled to Paris, disguised as a woman.

Toward the end of his presidency, Bani Sadr had allied him-self with the Sazman-i Mujahidin-i Khalq (Organization ofPeople's Strugglers; however, the group is commonly known inIran as munafiqin, "hypocrites," not mujahidin, because of itsmembers' hostility to the Islamic Republic). An organizationwith a tortuous ideological and political history, it had hoped,like Bani Sadr, to displace Imam Khomeini and capture powerfor itself. After Bani Sadr went into exile, members of the or-ganization embarked on a campaign of assassinating govern-ment leaders in the hope that the Islamic Republic would col-lapse. Even before Bani Sadr fled, a massive explosion had des-troyed the headquarters of the Islamic Republic Party, killingmore than seventy people including Ayatullah Bihishti. OnAugust 30, 1981, Muhammad 'Ali Raja'i, Bani Sadr's successoras president, was killed in another explosion. Other assassina-tions followed over the next two years, including fiveImam Jum'a's as well as a host of lesser figures. Throughoutthese disasters, Imam Khomeini maintained his customarycomposure, declaring, for example, after the assassination ofRaja'i that the killings would change nothing and in factshowed Iran to be "the most stable country in the world," giv-en the ability of the government to continue functioning in anorderly manner (Sahifa-yi Nur, XV, p.130). The fact that Iranwas able to withstand such blows internally while continuingthe war of defense against Iraq was indeed testimony to theroots the new order had struck and to the undiminishedprestige of Imam Khomeini as the leader of the nation. Ayatul-lah Khamna'i, a longtime associate and devotee of the Imam,was elected president on October 2, 1981, and he remained inthis position until he succeeded him as leader of the Islam-ic Republic on his death in 1989. No governmental crises

34

comparable to those of the first years of the Islamic Republicoccurred during his tenure.

Nonetheless, structural problems persisted. The constitutionprovided that legislation passed by the Majlis should be re-viewed by a body of senior fuqaha' known as the Council ofGuardians (Shaura-yi Nagahban) to ensure its conformity withthe provisions of Ja'fari fiqh. This frequently led to a stalemateon a variety of important legislative issues. On at least two oc-casions, in October 1981 and January 1983, Hashimi- Rafsan-jani, then chairman of the Majlis, requested the Imam to arbit-rate decisively, drawing on the prerogatives inherent in thedoctrine of vilayat-i faqih, in order to break the deadlock. Hewas reluctant to do so, always preferring that a consensusshould emerge.However, on January 6, 1988, in a letter ad-dressed to Khamna'i, the Imam put forward a farreach-ing definition of vilayat-i faqih, now termed "absolute" (mut-laqa), which made it theoretically possible for the leadership tooverride all conceivable objections to the policies it supported.

Governance, Imam Khomeini proclaimed, is the most import-ant of all divine ordinances (ahkam-i ilahi) and it takes preced-ence over secondary divine ordinances (ahkam-i far'iya-yi il-ahiya). Not only does the Islamic state permissibly enforce alarge number of laws not mentioned specifically in the sourcesof the shari'a, such as the prohibition of narcotics and the levy-ing of customs dues; it can also suspend the performance of afundamental religious duty, the hajj, when this is necessitatedby the higher interest of the Muslims (Sahifa-yi Nur, XX, pp.170-71). At first sight, the theory of vilayati mutlaqa-yi faqihmight appear to be a justification for unlimited individual ruleby the leader (rahbar). One month later, however, ImamKhomeini delegated these broadly defined prerogatives to acommission named the Assembly for the Determination of theInterest of the Islamic Order (Majma'-i Tashkhis-i Maslahat-iNizam-i Islami). This standing body has the power to settle de-cisively all differences on legislation between the Majlis andthe Council of Guardians.

The war against Iraq continued to preoccupy Iran until July1988. Iran had come to define its war aims as not simply theliberation of all parts of its territory occupied by Iraq, but alsothe overhrow of the regime of Saddam Husayn. A number of

35

military victories made this goal appear attainable. On Novem-ber 29, 1981, Imam Khomeini congratulated his military com-manders on successes achieved in Khuzistan, remarking thatthe Iraqis had been obliged to retreat before the faith of theIranian troops and their eagerness for martyrdom (Sahifa-yi Nur, XV, p. 234). The following year,on May 24, Khurram-shahr, which had been held by the Iraqis since shortly after theoutbreak of war, was liberated, and only small pockets of Irani-an territory remained in Iraqi hands. The Imam marked the oc-casion by condemning anew the Persian Gulf states that sup-ported Saddam Husayn and describing the victory as a divinegift (Sahifa-yi Nur, XVI, pp. 154-5). Iran failed, however, to fol-low up swiftly on its surprise victory and the momentum, whichmight have made possible the destruction of Saddam Husayn'sregime, was lost as the tide of war flowed back and forth. TheUnited States was, in any event, determined to deny Iran a de-cisive victory and stepped up its intervention in the conflict ina variety of ways. Finally, on July 2, 1988, the US navy sta-tioned in the Persian Gulf shot down a civilian Iranian airliner,with the loss of 290 passengers. With the utmost reluctance,Imam Khomeini agreed to end the war on the terms specifiedin Resolution 598 of the United Nations Security Council, com-paring his decision in a lenghty statement issued on July 20 tothe drinking of poison (Sahifa-yi Nur, XXI, pp. 227-44).

Any notion that the acceptance of a ceasefire with Iraqsignaled a diminution in the Imam's readiness to confront theenemies of Islam was dispelled when, on February 14, 1989, heissued a fatva calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, au-thor of the obscene and blasphemous novel, The SatanicVerses, as well as those responsible for the publication and dis-semination of the work. The fatva received a great deal of sup-port in the Muslim world as the most authoritative articula-tion of popular outrage at Rushdie's gross insult to Islam. Al-though its demand remained unfulfilled, it demonstratedplainly the consequences that would have to be faced by anyaspiring imitator of Rushdie, and thus had an important de-terrent effect. Generally overlooked at the time was thefirm grounding of the Imam's fatva in the existing provisions ofboth Shi'i and Sunni jurisprudence; it was not therefore

36

innovative. What lent the fatva particular significance wasrather its issuance by the Imam as a figure of great moralauthority.

The Imam had also gained the attention of the outside world,albeit in a less spectacular way, on January 4, 1989, when hesent Mikhail Gorbachev, then general secretary of the Com-munist Party of the Soviet Union, a letter in which he predictedthe collapse of the Soviet Union and the disappearance of com-munism: "Henceforth it will be necessary to look for commun-ism in the museums of political history of the world." He alsowarned Gorbachev and the Russian people against replacingcommunism with Western-style materialism: "The basic prob-lem of your country has nothing to do with ownership, the eco-nomy, or freedom; it is the lack of a true belief in God,the sameproblem that has drawn the West into a blind alley of trivialityand purposelessness" (Avayi Tauhid, Tehran, 1367 Sh./1989,pp. 3-5).

Internally, however, the most important development in thelast year of Imam Khomeini's life was, without doubt, his dis-missal of Ayatullah Muntaziri from the position of successor tothe leadership of the Islamic Republic. Once a student andclose associate of the Imam, who had gone so far as to call him"the fruit of my life," Muntaziri had had among his associatesover the years persons executed for counterrevolutionary activ-ity, including a son-in-law, Mahdi Hashimi, and made farreach-ing criticisms of the Islamic Republic, particularly with regardto judicial matters. On July 31, 1988, he wrote a letter to theImam questioning what he regarded as unjustified executionsof members of the Sazman-i Mujahidin-i Khalq held in Iranianprisons after the organization, from its base in Iraq, had madea large-scale incursion into Iranian territory in the closingstages of the Iran- Iraq war. Matters came to a head the follow-ing year, and on March 28, 1989, the Imam wrote to Muntaziriaccepting his resignation from the succession, a resignationwhich under the circumstances he was compelled to offer(Sahifa-yi Nur, XXI, p. 112).

Funeral

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On June 3, 1989, after eleven days in hospital for an opera-tion to stop internal bleeding, Imam Khomeini lapsed into acritical condition and died. The outpouring of grief wasmassive and spontaneous, the exact counterpoint to the vastdemonstrations of joy that had greeted his return to Iran alittle over ten years earlier. Such was the press of mourners,estimated at some nine million, that the body ultimately had tobe transported by helicopter to its place of burial to the southof Tehran on the road leading to Qum. A still expanding com-plex of structures has grown up around the shrine of the Imam,making it likely that it will become the center of an entire newcity devoted to ziyara and religious learning.

The testament of Imam Khomeini was published soon afterhis death. A lengthy document, it addresses itself principally tothe various classes of Iranian society, urging them to dowhatever is necessary for the preservation and strengtheningof the Islamic Republic. Significantly, however, it begins withan extended meditation on the hadith-i thaqalayn: "Ileave among you two great and precious things: the Book ofGod and my progeny; they will never be separated from eachother until they meet me at the pool." The Imam interprets themisfortunes that have befallen Muslims throughout history andmore particularly in the present age as the result of efforts pre-cisely to disengage the Qur'an from the progeny of the Prophet(s.a.w.s.)

The legacy of Imam Khomeini was considerable. He had be-queathed to Iran not only a political system enshrining theprinciples both of religious leadership and of an elected legis-lature and head of the executive branch, but also a whole newethos and self-image, a dignified stance of independence vis-visthe West rare in the Muslim world. He was deeply imbued withthe traditions and worldview of Shi'i Islam, but he viewed therevolution he had led and the republic he had founded as thenucleus for a worldwide awakening of all Muslims. He hadsought to attain this goal by, among other things, issuing pro-clamations to the hujjaj on a number of occasions and alert-ing them to the dangers arising from American dominance ofthe Middle East, the tireless activity of Israel for subvertingthe Muslim world, and the subservience to America and Israelof numerous Middle Eastern governments. Unity between

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Shi'is and Sunnis was one of his lasting concerns; he was, in-deed, the first Shi'i authority to declare unconditionally validprayers performed by Shi'is behind a Sunni imam (Istifta'at, I,p. 279).

It must finally be stressed that despite the amplitude of hispolitical achievements, Imam Khomeini's personality was es-sentially that of a gnostic for whom political activity was butthe natural outgrowth of an intense inner life of devotion. Thecomprehensive vision of Islam that he both articulated and ex-emplified is, indeed, his most significant legacy.

[7] Bibliography: Works of Imam Khomeini

[a] Works on gnosis

[b] Works on fiqh

[c] On Islamic government

[d] Proclamations, speeches, messages and lettersTestament

[e] Bibliography:Other Sources

[a] Works on gnosis:

(1) Sharh Du'a' al-Sahar, commentary on the supplicatoryprayer recited during Ramadan by Imam Muhammad al-Baqir,ed. Sayyid Ahmad Fihri, Tehran, 1362 Sh./1983 (Arabic).

(2) The same, with a Persian translation by Fihri, Tehran,1370 Sh./1991

(3) Sharh Hadith Ra's al-Jalut, commentary on an address byImam Riza to the Chief Rabbi of his time, unpublished (Arabic)

(4) Hashiya 'ala Sharh Hadith Ra's al-Jalut, gloss on QaziSa'id Qummi's commentary on the same address, unpublished(Arabic)

39

(5) Al-Ta'liqa 'ala 'l-Fawa'id al-Radawiya, glosses on the com-mentary of Qazi Sa'id Qummi's commentary on some of thehadith of Imam Riza, Tehran, 1417/1996 (Arabic)

(6) Sharh-i Hadith-i 'Junud-i 'Aql va Jahl, a detailed and sys-tematic work setting out Imam Khomeini's views on gnostics,ethics, and theology, forthcoming (Persian)

(7) Misbah al-Hidaya ila 'l-Khilafa wa 'l-Wilaya, on the inner-most reality of the Prophet and the Twelve Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, with introduction and commentary by Sayyid Jalal al-Din Ashtiyani, Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993 (Arabic)

(8) Ta'liqat 'ala Sharh Fusus al-Hikam wa Misbah al-Uns,notes on Qaysari's commentary on the Fusus and MuhammadFanari's commentary on Sadr al-Din Qunawi's Miftah al-Ghayb,Qum, 1365 Sh./1986 (Arabic)

(9) Sharh-i Chihil Hadith, voluminous commentary on fortyhadith, mostly of gnostic and ethical content, Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993 (Persian)

(10) Sirr al-Salat (Salat al-'Arifin wa Mi'raj al-Salikin), de-tailed examination of the inner meanings of the prayer, with apreface by Ayatullah Javadi-Amuli, Tehran, 1369 Sh./1980(Persian)

(11) Adab-i Namaz , another exploration of the dimensions ofthe prayer, Tehran,1372 Sh./ 1993 (Persian)

(12) Risala-yi Liqa'ullah, a brief treatise on the meaning inwhich "the meeting with God" in the hereafter is to be under-stood, published as a supplement to the longer work of HajjMirza Javadi Maliki-Tabrizi on the same subject and with thesame title, Tehran, 1360 Sh./1981, pp. 253-60(Persian)

(13) Hashiya bar Asfar-i Arba'a, marginal notes on the Asfarof Mulla Sadra, unpublished (Arabic?)

40

(14) Risala fi 'l-Talab wa 'l-Irada, with a Persian translationand commentary by Sayyid Ahmad Fihri,Tehran, 1362 Sh./1983(Arabic)

(15) Tafsir-I Sura-yi Hamd, several commentaries on Suratal-Fatiha, Tehran, 1375 Sh./1996(Persian)

Translations:

(1) "Lectures on Surat al-Fatiha," in Islam and Revolution,translated by Hamid Algar, Berkeley, 1981, pp. 365-425;

(2) Rahasia Basmalah dan Hamdalah, translated by ZulfahmiAndri, Bandung, 1994

(3) Noqta-yi 'Atf, a collection of letters and poems written forHajj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, Tehran, 1373 Sh./1995 (Persian)

(4) Mahram-i Raz, another collection of the same type,Tehran, 1373 Sh./1995 (Persian)

(5) Jilvaha-yi Rahmani, a third collection of the sametype,Tehran 1371 Sh./1992 (Persian)

(6) Divan-i Imam Khomeini, a collection of predominantlymystical ghazals, written in the styles of Jalal al-Din Rumi andHafiz, Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993 (Persian)

(7) Sabu-yi 'Ishq, the ghazals written by Imam Khomeini dur-ing the last two years of his life, Tehran, n.d. (Persian)

(8) Jihad-i Akbar ya Mubaraza ba Nafs, a lecture on self-puri-fication given at Najaf, Tehran, 1373 Sh./ 1994. (Persian)

[b] Works on fiqh

(1) Anwar al-Hidaya fi 'l-Ta'liqa 'ala 'l-Kifaya, notes on theKifayat al-Usul of Shaykh Muhammad Kazim Khurasani on usulal-fiqh, 2 vols., Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993 (Arabic)

41

(2) al-Rasa'il, a collection of four treatises: Qa'idat La Darar;al-Istihsab; al-Ta'adul wa 'l-Tarjih; and Fi 'l-Taqiya, with notesby Mujtaba Tihrani, Qum 1385/1965 (Arabic)

(3) Bada'i' al-Durar fi Qa'idat Nafy al-Darar, a critical editionof the first treatise in al-Rasa'il, Tehran,1414/1993 (Arabic)

(4) Manahij al-Wusul ila 'ilm al-usul, a systematic treatise onusul al-fiqh, with introduction and notes by Ayatullah FazilLankurani, 2 vols., Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993 (Arabic)

(5) Risala fi Qa'idat Man Malak, unpublished (Arabic)

(6) Risala fi Ta'yin al-Fajr fi 'l-Layali 'l-Muqmara, a treatiseon determining the time of dawn on

moonlit nights, Qum, 1368 Sh./1990 (Arabic)

(7) Kitab al-Tahara, on questions of ritual purity, 4 vols., Na-jaf, 1389/1969

(8) Ta'liqa 'ala 'l-'Urwat al-Wuthqa, a commentary on al-'Urwat al-Wuthqa by Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Yazdi (d. 1919),a comprehensive treatise on all the categories of fiqh, Qum,1340 Sh./ 1961al-Makasib al-Muharrama, on forbidden modesof earning, 2 vols., Qum, 1381/1961 (Arabic)

(9) Ta'liqa 'ala Wasilat al-Najat, a commentary on the collec-tion of fatvas by Ayatullah Sayyid Abu 'l-Hasan Isfahani (d.1946), Qum, n.d. (Arabic)

(10) Hashiya bar Risala-yi Irth, a commentary on MullaHashim Khurasani's treatise on questions pertaining to inherit-ance, Qum, n.d. (Persian)

(11) Taudih al-Masa'il (Risala-yi Ahkam), basic handbook offiqh, reprinted numerous times; the best edition is that pre-pared by Ayatullah Rizvani, Tehran, 1408/1987 (Persian)

42

(12) Zubdat al-Ahkam, abbreviated Arabic version of theforegoing, Tehran, 1404/1984

(13) Kitab al-Bay', on matters pertaining to commercialtransactions, 5 vols., Najaf, 1396/1976 (Arabic)

(14) Kitab al-Khilal fi 'l-Salat, on acts that may void the pray-er, Qum, n.d. (Arabic)

(15) Tahrir al-Wasila, comprehensive handbook on questionsof fiqh, 2 vols., Najaf, 1390/1970 (Arabic)

(16) Al-Dima' al-Thalatha, notes taken by Hujjat al-IslamSadiq Khalkhali on the Imam's lectures on ritual purity, Qum1403/1983 (Arabic)

(17) Istifta'at, a collection of roughly 2500 fatvas given bythe Imam after the triumph of the revolution, Qum, Vol. I, 1366Sh./1987, Vol. II, 1372 Sh./1993 (mostly Persian, some Arabic)

(18) Ahkam al-Islam bayn al-sa'il wa 'l-imam, a selction offatvas from the foregoing collection, Beirut, 1413/1992(Arabic)

(19) Manasik-i Hajj, an exposition of the rituals of the hajj,Tehran, 1370 Sh./1991 (Persian).

[c] On Islamic government

Vilayat-i Faqih ya Hukumat-i Islami, text of the lectures de-livered by Imam Khomeini in Najaf in 1348 Sh./1969. Numer-ous printings.

Translations:

al-Hukumat al-Islamiya, Najaf, 1389/1969; "Islamic Govern-ment," in Islam and Revolution, translated by Hamid Algar,Berkeley, 1981, pp. 27-166.

43

[d] Proclamations, speeches, messages, letters andTestament

(1) Majmu'a'i az Maktubat, Sukhanraniha, Payamha vaFatavi-yi Imam Khumayni, 2 vols., Tehran, 1360 Sh./1981(Persian)

(2) Sahifa-yi Nur, 22 vols., Tehran, 1361-1371 Sh./1982-1992(also available on CDRom) (Persian)

(3) Payam-i Inqilab , 2 vols., Tehran, 1360 Sh./1981 (Persian)

(4) Kauthar, 2 vols., Tehran, 1373 Sh./1994 (Persian)

(5) Ava-yi Tauhid, text of the message to Gorbachev, Tehran,1367 Sh./1989 (Persian)

(6) Sahifa-yi Inqilab: Vasiyat-nama-yi Siyasi-Ilahi-yi Rahbar-iKabir-i Inqilab-i Islami va Bunyanguzar-i Jumhuri-yi Islami-yiIran Hazrat-i Ayatullah al-'Uzma Imam Khumayni, Tehran,1368 Sh./1989.

Translations:Nass al-Wasiyat al-Ilahiyat al-Siyasiya li 'l-Imam al-Qa'id

Ruhullah al-Musawi al-Khumayni, Tehran,1989; ImamKhomeini's Last Will and Testament, Washington D.C., 1989

* * *Bibliography

(1) Hamid Algar, "Imam Khomeini, 1902-1962: The Pre-Re-volutionary Years,"

(2) Islam, Politics and Social Movements, eds. EdmundBurke and Ira Lapidus, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1989, pp.263-88 Idem, "Religious Forces in Twentieth Century Iran,"Cambridge History of Iran, VII, Cambridge, 1991, pp. 751-5,759-64; Idem, "The Fusion of Gnosticism and Politics inthe Personality and Life of Imam Khomeini," forthcoming

(3) Anonymous, Biugrafi-yi Pishva, Najaf, n.d.

44

(4) Hamid Ansari, Hadis-i Bidari, Tehran, 1374 Sh./1995Idem, Muhajir-i Qabila-yi Iman, Tehran, 1375 Sh./1996 (a bio-graphy of Hajj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, the second son of theImam)

(5) Muhammad Taqi Bushihri, "Ruhullah Khumayni: Tufuliy-at, Sabavat va Shabab," Chashm-andaz,5 (autumn, 1368 Sh./1989), pp. 12-37; Idem, "Ruhullah Musavi Khumayni: Dauran-ITahsil va Ta'allum dar Dar al-Aman-i Qum," Chashm-andaz, 10(spring, 1371 Sh./1992), pp. 52-68 Idem, "Ruhullah MusaviKhumayni: Ta'allum dar Hauza-yi 'Ilmiyya-yi Qum," Chashm-an-daz, 11 (winter,1371 Sh./1992), pp. 38-5; Idem, "RuhullahMusavi Khumayni: Mu'alliman va Ustadan," Chashmandaz, 12(Winter, 1372 Sh./1993), pp. 44-57; Idem, "'Arif-i Kamil MirzaMuhammad 'Ali Shahabadi, Mu'allim va Murad-i RuhullahMusavi Khumayni," Chashm-andaz, 13 (Spring 1373 Sh./1994),pp.32-41.

(6) Christian Bonaud, L'Imam Khomeyni, un gnostique mé-connu du Xxe siecle, Beirut, 1997

(7) Norman Calder, "Accommodation and Revolution inImami Shi'I Jurisprudence: Khumayni and the Classical Tradi-tion," Middle Eastern Studies, 18 (1982), pp. 3-20

(8) Robin Woodsworth Carlsen, The Imam and his IslamicRevolution, Victoria B.C., 1982

(9) 'Ali Davani, Nahzat-i Ruhaniyun-i Iran, 11 vols., Tehran,n.d.

(10) Muhammad Riza Hakimi, Tafsir-i Aftab, Tehran, n.d.

(11) Hajj Sayyid Ahmad Khumayni, Pidar, ay 'Alamdar-iMaktab-i Mazlum, Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993

(12) Heinz Nussbaumer, Khomeini: Revolutionar in AllahsNamen, Munich and Berlin, 1979

45

(13) Ayatullah Pasandida, Khatirat, Tehran, 1374 Sh./1995

(14) Muhammad Hasan Rajabi, Zindagi-nama-yi Siyasi-yiImam Khumayni az Aghaz ta Tab'id, Tehran, 1370 Sh./1991

(15) Muhammad Sharif Razi, Asar al-Hujja, Qum, 1332 Sh./1953, I, pp. 44-6

(16) Sayyid Hamid Ruhani, Barrasi va Tahlili az Nahzat-iImam Khumayni, I, Najaf, 1356 Sh./1967, II, Tehran, 1364 Sh./1985

(17) Farhang Rajaee, Islamic Values and World View:Khomeyni on Man, the State and International Politics, Lan-ham, Maryland, 1983

(18) Kalim Siddiqui, Hamid Algar, et al., Gerbang Kebangkit-an: Revolusi Islam dan Khomeini dalam Perbincangan,Yogyakarta, 1984

(19) Dirasat fi 'l-Fikr al-Siyasi li 'l-Imam al-Khumayni, ed.Muhammad 'Ali Taskhiri, Qum, 1416/1995

(20) Shahidi Digar az Ruhaniyat, Najaf, n.d. (documents andreminiscences concerning HajjSayyid Mustafa Khomeini, theImam's eldest son)

(21) Sarguzashtha-yi Vizha az Zindagi-yi Hazrat-i Imam Khu-mayni, 6 vols., Qum, 1368 Sh./1989 (reminscences of variouspersonalities concerning the Imam).

[8] About the author

English-born Hamid Algar received his Ph.D. In orientalstudies from Cambridge. Since 1965 he has served on the fac-ulty of the Department of Near Eastern Studies at theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where he teaches Persianand Islamic history and philosophy. Dr Algar has written ex-tensively on the subject of Iran and Islam, including the books

46

Religion and State in Iran, 1785- 1906 and Mirza MalkumKhan: A Biographical Study in Iranian Modernism. He has beenfollowing the Islamic movement in Iran with interest for manyyears. In an article published in 1972, he assessed the situationthere and forecast the Revolution "more accurately than all theU.S. government's political officers and intelligence analysts,"in the words of Nicholas Wade, Science magazine. Dr. Algarhas translated numerous books from Arabic, Turkish, and Per-sian, including the book "Islam and Revolution: Writings andDeclarations of Imam Khomeini".

( 83 Stories - Biography (1902-1989)43 Recollections on Prayer - Meetings/articles)

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Chapter 2Al-Allamah al-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba'i - (1904-1981)Al-Allamah al-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba'i(1892-1981) is one of the greatest and the most originalthinkers of the contemporary Muslim world. He was a prolificwriter and an inspiring teacher, who devoted whole of his lifeto Islamic studies. His interests were varied and the scope ofhis learning was vast. His books number about forty-four, threeof which are collections of his articles on various aspects ofIslam and the Qur'an. His major contributions are in the fieldsof tafsir, philosophy and history of the Shi'ah faith. In philo-sophy the most important of his works is Usul-e falsafah warawish-e-riyalism (The Principles of Philosophy and the methodof realism), which has been published in five volumes with ex-planatory notes and commentary of Martyr Murtadha Mutah-hari. It deals with the Islamic outlook of the world, which is notonly opposed to idealism that negates the reality of the corpor-eal world, but is also opposed to the materialistic conception ofthe world, which reduces all reality to ambiguous materialisticmyths and fabrications. The point is established that while theIslamic world-outlook is realistic, both the idealistic and mater-ialistic outlooks are unrealistic. His other major philosophicalwork is a voluminous commentary of al-Asfar al-'arba'ah, themagnum opus of Mulla Sadra, the last of the great Muslimthinkers of the medieval age. Besides these, he wrote extens-ively on philosophical issues. His humanist approach is under-lined by his three books on man - before the world, in thisworld and after this world. His philosophy is overloaded withsociological treatment of human problems. His two otherworks, Bidayat al-hikmah and Nihayat al-hikmah, are con-sidered among works of a high order in Muslim philosophy.

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He wrote several treatises on the doctrines and history of theShi'ah. One of these books comprises his clarifications and ex-positions about Shi'ah faith in reply to the questions posed bythe famous French orientalist Henry Corbin. Another of hisbooks on this topic Shi'ah dar Islam was translated into Englishby Sayyid Husayn Nasr under the title The Shi'ite Islam. Thesebooks serve as a good means of removing popular misconcep-tions about the Shi'ah and can pave the way for a better inter-sectarian understanding among Muslim schools.

If a single work is to be named as his masterpiece, al-Miz-an can be mentioned without hesitation, which is the outcomeof the 'Allamah's lifelong labor in the sphere of Qur'anic stud-ies. His method, style and approach are uniquely different fromthose of all other exegetes of the Qur'an.Among the aspects of 'Allamah Tabataba'I's personality is hisunprecedented success as a great teacher. Among his pupilswe find a group of such luminaries and thinkers of eminence intheir own right as Martyr Murtada Mutahhari, Martyr Be-heshti, Hasan Hasanzadeh Amuli and Husayn Nasr.The 'Allamah was also a good poet. He composed the poetrymainly in Persian, but occasionally in Arabic also.

The History of Al-Mizan:'Allamah Tabataba'I, who came to the Hawzah of Qum in

1325 A.H., wrote and lectured extensively on differentbranches of Islamic sciences. Commentary and exegesis of theQur'an was one of the topics of his discussions, which he heldwith the scholars and students of the Howzeh-ye 'Ilmiyyah ofQum. About the motive of writing al-Mizan, 'AllamahTabataba'I himself states that when he came to Qum from Tab-riz, he tried to evaluate the requirements of the Islamic societyas well as the conditions prevailing in the Howzeh-ye 'Ilmiyyahof Qum, and after due consideration of the matter he came tothe conclusion that the school was badly in need of a comment-ary of the Qur'an for a better understanding and more effectiveinstruction of the sublime meanings of the purest of all Islamictexts and the highest of all Divine gifts. On the other hand,since materialistic notions were gaining prevalence, there wasa great need for a rational and philosophical discourse to en-able the Howzah to rise to the occasion for elaborating the

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intellectual and doctrinal principles of Islam with the help ofrational arguments in order to defend the Islamic position. Hethus considered it his duty to make efforts in fulfilling thesetwo urgent needs with the help of God., the Most High. Thelectures on exegesis of the Qur'an were planned according tothis scheme. Perhaps 'Allamah Tabataba'I might have deliveredlectures on the entire Qur'an for his students for several times,and in the meanwhile he might have written a commentary.During these sessions of well-thought out discourse he mighthave rendered these lectures into his terse and eloquent prose,which was later printed in a number of volumes.

The first edition of al-Mizan in Arabic was printed in Iran andthen it was printed in Beirut. Till now more than three editionshave been printed in Iran and in Beirut in large numbers, andvery few of the public and private libraries will be foundwithout a complete set of it. All other libraries, too, at leasthave some of the volumes of this commentary on their shelves.

The original text of al-Mizan is written in Arabic, consistingof twenty volumes, and each volume has about four hundredpages of big size. It was intended that all those interested inreading the exegesis of the Qur'an may be properly benefitedfrom this treasure of the Qur'anic teachings. Some of the pu-pils of 'Allamah Tabataba'I have translated this book into Per-sian under his able direction and supervision, and each one ofthe Arabic volume was translated in two volumes of the Per-sian, making a total number of forty. The share of this respons-ibility was shouldered by Aqa Sayyid Muhammad Baqir MusawiHamadani. With the view that the entire Persian translation ofal-Mizan should not appear in different styles, which wouldhave affected the book's readability, 'Allamah Tabataba'I gavehim the beginning volumes of al-Mizan also for retranslation.Twelve volumes of al-Mizan, corresponding to 6 Arabicvolumes, have so far appeared in English, translated by thelate Mawlana Sa'eed Akhtar Ridwi, and it is hoped that the oth-er volumes would be rendered into English by another translat-or in the near future. We also hope that this fine exegesis ofthe Divine words of the Qur'an will be translated into other liv-ing languages of the world.

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Biography of Late Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad HusaynTabatabai By: Mohammad Yazdi

Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i was born inTabriz in A.H. (lunar) 1321 or A.H. (solar) 1282, (A.D 1903) ina family of descendants of the Holy Prophet, which for fourteengenerations has produced outstanding Islamic scholars. He re-ceived his earliest education in his native city, mastering theelements of Arabic and the religious sciences, and at about theage of twenty set out for the great Shiite University of NajafAshraf to continue more advance studies.

Most students in the madrasahs follow the branch of trans-mitted sciences" (al-'ulum al-naqilyah), especially the sciencesdealing with the Divine Law, fiqh or jurisprudence and usul al-fiqh or the principles of jurisprudence. Ayatullah Tabataba'i,however, sought to master both branches of the traditional sci-ences; the transmitted and the intellectual he studied DivineLaw and the principles of jurisprudence with two of the greatmasters of that day, Mirza Muhammad Husayn Na'ini andShaykh Muhammad Husayn Isfahani.

In addition to formal learning, or what the traditional Muslinsources "acquired science" ('ilm-i husuli), Ayatullah Tabataba'isought after that "immediate science" ('ilmi-I-hudari) or gnosisthrough which knowledge turns into vision of the supernalrealities. He was fortunate in finding a great master of Islamicgnosis, Mirza Al-Qadi, who initiated him into the Divine myster-ies and guided him in his journey toward spiritual perfection.

Ayatullah Tabataba'i returned to Tabriz in A.H (solar) 1314(AD 1934) and spent a few quiet years in that city teaching asmall number of disciples, but he was as yet unknown to thereligious circles of Persia at large. It was the devastatingevents of the Second World War and the Russian occupation ofPersia that brought ' Ayatullah Tabataba'i from Tabriz to Qumin A.H. (solar) 1324 (A.H. 1945) Qum was then, and continuesto be, the centre of religious studies in Persia. In his quiet andunassuming manner Ayatullah Tabataba'i began to teach inthis holy city, concentrating on Qura'nic commentary and tradi-tional Islamic philosophy and theosophy, which had not beentaught in Qum for many years. His magnetic personality andspiritual presence soon attracted some of the most intelligentand competent of the students to him, and gradually he made

51

the teachings of Mulla Sadri, once again a cornerstone of thetraditional curriculum.

The activities of Ayatullah Tabataba'i since he came to Qumhave also included frequent visits to Tehran. After the SecondWorld War, when Marxism was fashionable among some of theyouth in Tehran, he was the only religious scholar who took thepains to study the philosophical basis of Communism and sup-ply a response to dialectical materialism from the traditionalpoint of view. The fruit of this effort was one of his majorworks, UsuI-i-falsafah Wa rawish-i ri'alism (The Principles ofPhilosophy and the Method: of Realism), in which he defendedrealism in its traditional and medieval sense against all dialect-ical philosophies. He also trained a number of disciples whobelong to the community of Persians with a modern education.

Ayatullah Tabataba'i has therefore exercised a profound in-fluence in both the traditional and modern circles in Persia. Hehas tried to create a new intellectual elite among the moderneducated classes who wish to be acquainted with Islamic intel-lectuality as well as with the modern world Many among histraditional students who belong to the class of ulama havetried to follow his example in this important endeavour Someof his students, such as Sayyid Jalal al-Din Ashtiyan'i of Mash-had University and Murtada Mutahhari of Tehran University,are themselves scholars of considerable reputation AllamahTabataba'i often speaks of others among his students who pos-sess great spiritual qualities but do not manifest themselvesoutwardly

In addition to a heavy program of teaching and guidance,'Ayatullah Tabataba'i has occupied himself with writing manybooks and articles which attest to his remarkable intellectualpowers and breadth of learning within the world of the tradi-tional Islamic sciences.

( 80 Stories-Life PDF doc)

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Chapter 3Ayatullah Seyyid Abulqasim Musawi Al-Khoei (RA) - (1899-1992)Ayatullah Seyyid Abulqasim Musawi Al-Khoei (RA) was born inAzerbaijan, Iran 15 Rajab 1317 H. / 1899 A. D. and passedaway in Najaf Al-Ashraf, Iraq on 8 Safar 1412 A.H.(August 8,1992)

Educated in the established traditional way of Shia Theologyby well known jurists, he joined the world-renown theologicalinstitution in the holy city of Najaf Al-Ashraf in 1912, the yearhe migrated from Iran.

At an early age, he attained the degree of ijtihad i.e. the pro-cess of arriving at judgements on points of religious law usingreason and the principles of jurisprudence. This achievementnormally warrants the title of 'Ayatullah'.

Teaching, Juristic, and Writing MeritsHe taught in Najaf for over 70 years. For 50 years, he spe-

cialized in supervising post-graduate studies, most advancedamong which is 'Bahth-al-Kharij' - Graduation Classes - equival-ent to a Doctoral thesis. Successful candidates are qualified topractice 'Ijtihad'

He is considered as the architect of a distinct school of thoughtin the priciples of jurisprudence and Islamic law, and one ofthe leading exponents of 'kalam'-scholastic theology- and 'rijal'-study of the biographies of transmitters of ahadith, the Proph-etic traditions, 'fiqh'- jurisprudence- and 'tafseer'- exegesis ofThe Holy Qur'an. His interests included astronomy, maths, andphilosophy.

53

He was a prolific writer in the aforesaid disciplines. He wrote37 books and treatises, most of which have been published. Hisworks include:

• Lectures in the Principles of Jurisprudence - 10 volumes• Biographies of Narrators of Tradition - 24 volumes.• Islamic Law - 18 volumes.• Al-Bayan fi tafsir al-Qur'an ( The Elucidation of the Ex-

egesis of The Qur'an)• Minhaju-us-Saliheen (The Path of the Righteous) - 2

volumes, reprinted 78 times ( guide book on religiouspractice and law ) .

• Anthology of Religious Questions - Concise version of thePath of the Righteous - in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, English,Turkish, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and Gujarati.

• Mabani al-Istinbat ( Edifices of Deduction) Principles ofJurisprudence.

• Ajwad-at-Taqrirat (The Best of Regulations) Principles ofJurisprudence.

• Sharh-el-Urwatul-Wuthqa (Commentary on The SteadfastHandle) - Jurisprudence.

• Treatise on Suspected Attire - Risala fil Libas Al-Mashkok, Evidential Jurisprudence.

• Nafahat-ul Ijaz ( the Fragrance of Miracles ), in defenceof The Noble Qur'an.

His post-graduate institute normally accommodated some150 students, at any given time. Among the students who at-tended classes and were personally supervised by Imam Al-Khoei includedAyatullah Al-Shaheed As-Sayyid Mohammad Baqir As-Sadr,Iraq, As-Sayyid Mahdi Al-Hakim Mohammad Mahdi Shamsud-din ( Lebanon), Imam Mousa As-Sadr ( Lebanon),As-Sayyid Mo-hammad Husain Fadhlallah ( Lebanon ), Ayatullah SeyyidMohammad Al-Rohani ( Iran), Ayatullah Al-Ardabili, formerChief Justice of Iran , As-Sayyid Mohammad Ali Makki (Syria),As-Sayyid Mohammad Ali Bahrul 'Uloom (UK), Poet MustafaJamaluddin ( Syria ) .

After the death of As-Sayyid Mohsin Al- Hakim in 1972, ImamAl-Khoei succeeded him as The Grand Ayatullah ( Al-Marja'a Al-

54

a'alam) as he was the most knowledgeable of the 3 livingGrand Ayatullahs. He had the greatest following among theShias worldwide.

Achievements in the Welfare SphereHe was fervently dedicated to establishing welfare, social,

cultural, and educational institutions for Muslims worldwide.The following are some of the institutions he established:

• Al-Akhund• Darul Hikmah ( House of Theosophy)• Madinatul Ilm (City of Knowledge) in Qom, Iran, con-

sidered one of the biggest theology centres in the Shiaworld. The complex comprises the school building and liv-ing quarters capable of accommodating 500 families.

• As-Sayyid Al-Khoei Center in Bangkok, Thailand.• As-Sayyid Al-Khoei Center in Dhakkah, Bangladesh.• Ahlul-Bayt University, Islamabad, Pakistan.• Imam Al-Khoei Orphanage Beirut, Lebanon• Imam As-Sadiq Education Institute for Boys, London,

U.K.• Imam As-Sadiq Education Institute for Girls, London,

U.K.• Al-Iman School, New York, U.S.A.

He was also the patron of about 1,000 grant-maintained stu-dents of theology from Iraq and other countries like Lebanon,Syria, Gulf States, India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, SouthEast Asia. He provided financial support for maintaining theschools including boarding expenses, teachers' salaries andlodging costs.

Other Institutions• Publishing House - Translation, printing and distribution

of books worldwide, Karachi, Pakistan.• Cultural Complex, Bombay , India. Considered among the

biggest Shi' ite Muslims cultural centre-underconstruction.

• Representative Offices catering for the religious, social,educational, and cultural needs of Muslims all over theworld,with the Headquarters in London, U. K. andbranches in the United States, Canada, India, Pakistan,

55

U.A. E., Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, North Africa,Syria, Lebanon, Malaysia.

Imam Al-Khoei was a man of peace dialogue and understand-ing. He advocated non-violence and promoted tolerance,thevalues which mirror the human and universal principles ofIslam.

In the aftermath of the violent crushing of the popular uprisingin Iraq after the Gulf War by Saddam's troops, he was arrestedwith all members of his family, and many ulama, taken toBaghdad, and under duress was made to appear with Saddamon TV. Under mounting pressure, Saddam returned him,without his family, to Najaf, where he was placed under housearrest on the 20th of March, l99l.

Mass genocide, destruction, arrests, and displacement of civil-ians in Najaf, as well as in other cities and towns in the Southof Iraq and North perpetrated by the brutal Iraqi regime, leftmany cities virtually deserted and normal life came to a halt.All classes in Najaf came to a standstill, especially after thegrave restrictions and constraints on the freedom of the Spir-itual Leader. After his death a year later, Saddam's regimeclosed down the institute and deported, arrested and harrassedover 1000 students who had been registered with the institute.

Ayatullah Seyyid Abulqasim Musawi Al-Khoei (RA) was bornin Azerbaijan, Iran 15 Rajab 1317 H. / 1899 A. D. and passedaway in Najaf Al-Ashraf, Iraq on 8 Safar 1412 A.H.(August 8,1992)

Educated in the established traditional way of Shia Theologyby well known jurists, he joined the world-renown theologicalinstitution in the holy city of Najaf Al-Ashraf in 1912, the yearhe migrated from Iran.

At an early age, he attained the degree of ijtihad i.e. the pro-cess of arriving at judgements on points of religious law usingreason and the principles of jurisprudence. This achievementnormally warrants the title of 'Ayatullah'.

Teaching, Juristic, and Writing Merits

56

He taught in Najaf for over 70 years. For 50 years, he spe-cialized in supervising post-graduate studies, most advancedamong which is 'Bahth-al-Kharij' - Graduation Classes - equival-ent to a Doctoral thesis. Successful candidates are qualified topractice 'Ijtihad'

He is considered as the architect of a distinct school of thoughtin the priciples of jurisprudence and Islamic law, and one ofthe leading exponents of 'kalam'-scholastic theology- and 'rijal'-study of the biographies of transmitters of ahadith, the Proph-etic traditions, 'fiqh'- jurisprudence- and 'tafseer'- exegesis ofThe Holy Qur'an. His interests included astronomy, maths, andphilosophy.

He was a prolific writer in the aforesaid disciplines. He wrote37 books and treatises, most of which have been published. Hisworks include:

• Lectures in the Principles of Jurisprudence - 10 volumes• Biographies of Narrators of Tradition - 24 volumes.• Islamic Law - 18 volumes.• Al-Bayan fi tafsir al-Qur'an ( The Elucidation of the Ex-

egesis of The Qur'an)• Minhaju-us-Saliheen (The Path of the Righteous) - 2

volumes, reprinted 78 times ( guide book on religiouspractice and law ) .

• Anthology of Religious Questions - Concise version of thePath of the Righteous - in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, English,Turkish, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and Gujarati.

• Mabani al-Istinbat ( Edifices of Deduction) Principles ofJurisprudence.

• Ajwad-at-Taqrirat (The Best of Regulations) Principles ofJurisprudence.

• Sharh-el-Urwatul-Wuthqa (Commentary on The SteadfastHandle) - Jurisprudence.

• Treatise on Suspected Attire - Risala fil Libas Al-Mashkok, Evidential Jurisprudence.

• Nafahat-ul Ijaz ( the Fragrance of Miracles ), in defenceof The Noble Qur'an.

His post-graduate institute normally accommodated some150 students, at any given time. Among the students who

57

attended classes and were personally supervised by Imam Al-Khoei includedAyatullah Al-Shaheed As-Sayyid Mohammad Baqir As-Sadr,Iraq, As-Sayyid Mahdi Al-Hakim Mohammad Mahdi Shamsud-din ( Lebanon), Imam Mousa As-Sadr ( Lebanon),As-Sayyid Mo-hammad Husain Fadhlallah ( Lebanon ), Ayatullah SeyyidMohammad Al-Rohani ( Iran), Ayatullah Al-Ardabili, formerChief Justice of Iran , As-Sayyid Mohammad Ali Makki (Syria),As-Sayyid Mohammad Ali Bahrul 'Uloom (UK), Poet MustafaJamaluddin ( Syria ) .

After the death of As-Sayyid Mohsin Al- Hakim in 1972, ImamAl-Khoei succeeded him as The Grand Ayatullah ( Al-Marja'a Al-a'alam) as he was the most knowledgeable of the 3 livingGrand Ayatullahs. He had the greatest following among theShias worldwide.

Achievements in the Welfare SphereHe was fervently dedicated to establishing welfare, social,

cultural, and educational institutions for Muslims worldwide.The following are some of the institutions he established:

• Al-Akhund• Darul Hikmah ( House of Theosophy)• Madinatul Ilm (City of Knowledge) in Qom, Iran, con-

sidered one of the biggest theology centres in the Shiaworld. The complex comprises the school building and liv-ing quarters capable of accommodating 500 families.

• As-Sayyid Al-Khoei Center in Bangkok, Thailand.• As-Sayyid Al-Khoei Center in Dhakkah, Bangladesh.• Ahlul-Bayt University, Islamabad, Pakistan.• Imam Al-Khoei Orphanage Beirut, Lebanon• Imam As-Sadiq Education Institute for Boys, London,

U.K.• Imam As-Sadiq Education Institute for Girls, London,

U.K.• Al-Iman School, New York, U.S.A.

He was also the patron of about 1,000 grant-maintained stu-dents of theology from Iraq and other countries like Lebanon,Syria, Gulf States, India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, SouthEast Asia. He provided financial support for maintaining the

58

schools including boarding expenses, teachers' salaries andlodging costs.

Other Institutions• Publishing House - Translation, printing and distribution

of books worldwide, Karachi, Pakistan.• Cultural Complex, Bombay , India. Considered among the

biggest Shi' ite Muslims cultural centre-underconstruction.

• Representative Offices catering for the religious, social,educational, and cultural needs of Muslims all over theworld,with the Headquarters in London, U. K. andbranches in the United States, Canada, India, Pakistan,U.A. E., Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, North Africa,Syria, Lebanon, Malaysia.

Imam Al-Khoei was a man of peace dialogue and understand-ing. He advocated non-violence and promoted tolerance,thevalues which mirror the human and universal principles ofIslam.

In the aftermath of the violent crushing of the popular uprisingin Iraq after the Gulf War by Saddam's troops, he was arrestedwith all members of his family, and many ulama, taken toBaghdad, and under duress was made to appear with Saddamon TV. Under mounting pressure, Saddam returned him,without his family, to Najaf, where he was placed under housearrest on the 20th of March, l99l.

Mass genocide, destruction, arrests, and displacement of civil-ians in Najaf, as well as in other cities and towns in the Southof Iraq and North perpetrated by the brutal Iraqi regime, leftmany cities virtually deserted and normal life came to a halt.All classes in Najaf came to a standstill, especially after thegrave restrictions and constraints on the freedom of the Spir-itual Leader. After his death a year later, Saddam's regimeclosed down the institute and deported, arrested and harrassedover 1000 students who had been registered with the institute.Remembering Late Ayatullah al-Uzma Abul-Qasim al-Khoei

Died at 3.13 pm on 8th August 1992 (8th Safar 1413)

59

The Muslim world lost one of its brightest stars when GrandAyatullah, Abul-Qasim al-Khoei died at his Kufa home of heartfailure. He was born on Rajab 15, 1317 A.H. (November 19,1899) at Khoei in Iranian Azerbaijan, heartland of many greatShi'a thinkers and sufis, ascetics. Even in his early childhood,al-Khoei was versed in religious Persian and Arabic poetry andlanguages, and in Turkish as well. It was in 1330 A.H./1912A.D. that al-Khoei, who was then only thirteen years old, mi-grated to al-Najaf al-Ashraf, Iraq, in pursuit of knowledge.Even then, he was characterized by brilliance and a readinessto absorb knowledge and scholarship. In all stages of his studyand research, progress and success were his companions.

THE HAWZATen centuries ago, a university-type hawza was founded by

the most knowledgeable person then alive, namely shaikhMuhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Toosi, may Allah have mercy onhis soul. Al-Toosi was an intellectual giant, a genius by allstandards, and a man who was able to absorb various types ofknowledge and science. He was the undisputed authority infiqh, the founder of the science of hadith, an innovative mentorof the science of usool, nay, the scholar of scholars in allbranches of knowledge related to the science of biographies,akhlaq, and ilm al kalam. Thus did al-Toosi lay the foundationfor the hawza which has been functioning since then, i.e. since449 A.H.

MENTORS OF AL-KHOEIIf we were to research the fountainheads that nurtured the

intellect of the late al-Khoei, we will come across a list of thefinest among all contemporary scholars such as Shaikh Fath-Allah who is better known as Shaikh al-Sharee'a al-Isfahani,Shaikh Mahdi al-Mazandarani, Shaikh Diyaud-Deen al-Iraqi,Shaikh Muhammad Hussain al-Kampani al-Isfahani, ShaikhMuhammad Hussain al-Naeeni, Shaikh Muhammad Jawad al-Balaghi, and others.

All of these men were considered as pioneers in the fields oftheir specialization. The impact of these men on shaping themind of the late al-Khoei is best described by al-Khoei himself

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who has said: "I have learned from each one of them a com-plete course in the science of usool, and digested a number ofbooks in the science of fiqh, for many years. I used to provide acritique of the research relevant of each one of them before anumber of scholars who specialized in that branch of know-ledge, and my audience included a good number of very highlyrespected scholars. Al-Naeeni, may Allah have mercy on hissoul, was the last mentor I used to accompany more frequentlythan anyone else."

AL-KHOEI AS MENTORAl-Khoei had his own style in teaching and tutoring. Those

who graduated from his courses describe his method of teach-ing as immaculately minute, stunningly easy and clear, amaz-ingly logical. They say that there is neither undue complexitynor ambiguity in his style, and this can be said about all thecourses he taught. How was his style in discussing and debat-ing? The answer to this question is provided by one of his stu-dents: the struggling scientist, the pioneer and the shining starShaikh Muhammad Jawad Maghniyyah who has said the follow-ing in this regard:

"He [al-Khoei] was like the sun that sends its rays every-where, all the time. He was my professor and the professor ofall other scholars at al-Najaf al-Ashraf, and the pivot roundwhich the motion of scholarship revolved, and to whom thehawza is indebted for appreciation and loyalty… His was thegolden age during which stars such as al-Shaikh al-Ansari andal-Shaikh al-Khurasani and their disciples shone… He re-mained [at the hawza] for more than seventy years learning,teaching, writing, helping scholars graduate, debating new-comers as well as alumni… His style in discussing and debatingis that of Socrates". Al-Sayyid Abul-Qasim al-Khoei passed thestage of usool and continued teaching the much more ad-vanced stage of al kharij for more than fifty years… ! The num-ber of his graduates is estimated at tens of thousands…

THE IMAM AT HOMEHis son, Sayyid Abdel-Majeed al-Khoei, says the following

about his father, "My father was always smiling when he waswith us. He always arbitrated between his sons whenever there

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was a dispute, and he was quite witty. If he saw one lookingforlorn or happily excited, he would ask him about the reason,and every evening he would distribute candy for the children inaddition to whatever other gifts he had received that day fromthe admiring faithful." Despite his extremely lofty status, henever hesitated to help his family in domestic chores, includingkitchen chores. He never opened the mail coming to any of hisfamily members. One of his sons told him once that nobody inthe house had any secret to hide from him, and that it was per-fectly alright with them if he opened their mail, but he insistednever to do so. He always instructed members of his family todeliver funds for highly esteemed but impoverished familieswithout doing so publicly, telling them to help those whom theignorant ones mistake as wealthy because of their abstentionfrom begging for help.

IMAM'S DEMISEAfter the failure of the Intifada of March 1991, the Grand

Ayatullah was briefly imprisoned then forced to appear on tele-vision with the Butcher of Baghdad Saddam Hussein who al-ways kept pressuring him to issue fatawa, religious verdicts,supportive of Saddam and his government, something which henever did despite all the persecution to which he, his repres-entatives and family members were subjected.

Because of refusing to cooperate with the dictatorial govern-ment of Saddam Hussein, he was put under house arrest till hisdeath. Saddam also exiled, jailed, or assassinated many of thegifted students, representatives and distinguished followers ofal-Khoei and ordered the destruction of their mosques and lib-raries particularly those in Najaf and Kerbala.

As if the Iraqi government predicted the death of al-Khoei, itcut off all telephone connections with his Kufa residence in themorning of Saturday, August 8, 1992 and with the houses ofthose who were close to him. Having performed the afternoonprayers that day, the health of his late holiness suddenly de-teriorated and a severe chest swelling was visible. Doctors inthe medical team charged with supervising his health condi-tions was called in, but they could not tend to him earlyenough. He informed his family and those in his presence thatlast night he felt that it was the last night he was spending

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with his family. He asked for water to perform his ablu-tion, and as soon as he finished his ablution his soulpassed away to its Maker exactly at 3:13 pm.

A three-day mourning period was announced by the govern-ment which prohibited the family of the deceased dignitaryfrom holding the traditional Fatiha majlis, Baghdad's officialnewspaper Al-Jumhuriyyah called him "the martyr of Islam andthe nation," publishing his photograph on its front page. Inter-national news agencies, on the other hand, published photo-graphs of his coffin escorted by no more than six persons.Shortly before his death, the greatest scholar and leader al-Khoei expressed no concern about anything in this vanishinglife more than the possibility of the loss of his preciousmanuscripts the writing of which had exhausted so many yearsof his life… Surely the Islamic world will find it very hard tocompensate for the loss of such a man, nay, a legendary insti-tute and a lighthouse of knowledge and scholarship… Inna Lil-lah wa Inna Ilyahi Raji'oon.

[Written - October 1, 1992 - by - Yasin T. al-Jibouri -abridge version]

(Laws)

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Chapter 4Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Shah-Abadi- (1875-1950)Purification of the soul and struggle for its perfection is a fun-damental Islamic concept. The Holy Quran in an absolutelyunique style emphasises on self-purification as the only way toeternal success and salvation.

“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self. And in-deed he fails who corrupts his own self.” 91:9-10

The path to this success is a lifetime struggle and the journeyof self purification will end when lovers meet.

“O man! Verily, you are endeavouring towards yourLord an endeavour until you meet Him.”84:6

The methodology of how to successfully pass the trip is thesubject of Islamic mysticism called Irfan. However, Islamic Ir-fan like many other Islamic sciences has been on occasion mis-used and misrepresented and hence those who fail to distin-guish the authentic from the forged tend to deny the wholesubject. The weakness of this approach is similar to denial ofIslamic jurisprudence (al-Fiqh) for the reason that some so-called jurists have utilised analogy and inference in their de-duction or relied on non-authentic Hadiths!

From the rise of Islam to this present day, many devotedMuslims have struggled on the Path of nearness to theAlmighty Allah. Among them were the true followers of theImams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s) who were satisfied from the pureprophetic fountain of Kauthar; through the holy hands of Ahlul-Bait.

What makes the Shia mystics distinguished whilst ac-knowledging the Tareqeh (path) and the Haqiqah (Truth)

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is their absolute obligation to the Islamic Shari’a law ac-cording to the pure and authentic teachings of Ahlul-Bait(a.s) and living in moderation far from either side ofextremes.

This article aims at sharing some phases of the mystical per-sonality of one of the great Shia mystics of the20th century; Grand Ayatollah Mirza Sheikh MuhammadAli Shah-Abadi, the main teacher and mentor of the lateImam Khomeini who without doubt had a grave impact onthe mystical and spiritual personality of Imam Khomeini.

The late Ayatollah Shah-Abadi was originally fromIsfahan-Iran. He was an expert in Islamic jurisprudence,Philosophy and Irfan. In philosophy and Irfan, he was thestudent of the late Ayatollah Mirza Abul-Hasan Isfahani(1823-1897AD) known as Jelweh and one of the four most cel-ebrated philosophers in the history of Islamic philosophy. Apartfrom Jurisprudence and philosophy and Irfan, the GrandAyatollah Shah-Abadi was acquainted with Mathematics,al-Jafr and mastered the French language too.

Imam Khomeini & Ayatollah Shah-AbadiThe blessings of the Almighty Allah upon Imam Khomeini

(r.a) are indisputably the most significant of all Muslim schol-ars in the history of Islam. The Islamic Revolution in Iran andthe establishment of an Islamic state under the full authority ofMuslim jurists only is a favour that the Almighty Allah did notbestow upon any other scholar throughout the history of Islam.

In the entire blessed life of Imam Khomeini (r.a) twodecades are the most significant of all. The first is thedecade of studying Irfan under Ayatollah Shah-Abadi(r.a) commencing from 1928 and the other, the last dec-ade of his life commencing from February 1979 duringwhich he established the Islamic government in Iran.Ex-perts assert that the first decade was a causing factor to thelatter.

Ayatollah Shah-Abadi was one of the main teachers ofImam Khomeini (r.a) in Irfan[1]. The late Imam Khomeiniwas very much influenced by his teacher and repeatedly

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quoted from him in his books referring to him as “The PerfectArif Sheikh Shah-Abadi.”

Imam Khomeini in acknowledging the impacts of his teachersaid in one of his speeches: “Indeed, our honourable Sheikhhad the right of spiritual life on me that my hands and tongueare insufficient to appreciate.” [27 April 1984]

The son of Imam Khomeini; the late Seyyed Ahmad said: “Iasked my father what he studied under Ayatollah Shah-Abadi,he replied: Sharh Fosoos[2] and Mesbahul-Ons[3] andManazelu-Saa’erin[4]. I asked how many classmates did youhave. Imam Khomeini replied: Three students if it werecrowded otherwise usually it was only me.”

The late Imam Khomeini (r.a) studied Irfan underAyatollah Shah-Abadi for about 6 years although he wassaying: “If Ayatollah Shah-Abadi would teach for seventyyears, I would still attend his classes, for every day hehad new wisdom to offer.”

Purification of the soul and struggle for its perfection is afundamental Islamic concept. The Holy Quran in an absolutelyunique style emphasises on self-purification as the only way toeternal success and salvation.

“Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self. And in-deed he fails who corrupts his own self.” 91:9-10

Ayatollah Shah-Abadi & The Love for Ahlul-Bait (a.s)Ayatollah Nasrullah; one of the sons of Grand Ayatollah

Shah-Abadi quoting from his father says: “The founda-tion of Islam is the love for Fatima (s.a). The foundationof Islam is to dislike the enemies of Fatima (s.a). Who-ever loves Fatima (s.a) and dislikes her enemies, is a(true) Muslim.”

His WorshippingAyatollah Shah-Abadi was the Imam of the grand mosque in

the Bazaar of Tehran-Iran. When he was standing on his prayermat to lead the prayer he would become detached from thisworld and when he was sitting up from his Sujood (Prostration)tears flowed onto his cheek and beard.

His recitation of Do’a Kumail was very significant. He usedto recite the Do’a of Kumail in the same mosque about two

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hours before Fajr prayer at dawn with a few people who wereenthusiastic to attend such a spiritual supplication.

Some of His RecommendationsHis son, Ayatollah Nasrullah narrating from his fathersays: “My father always reminded us of the Salawaat of

Fatima (s.a) before the Fajr prayer. [5]And even if you are notspiritually prepared to pray the night Prayer make sure you are

awake at its time even for a cup of tea!”“One day he was invited to give a lecture at one of the

mosques in Tehran. To save his time and the time of others hemade his speech very short but proposed to the audience thatif anyone was really interested in self-purification and self-building they should come and see him later.

One of the businessmen from the audience came to himlater and requested a prescription for self purification.

Ayatollah Shah-Abadi gave him threerecommendations:

1) Be mindful of Salaat in its fixed times, especially in con-gregation as much as possible.

2) Be fair in your transactions and don’t be greedy.3) Although the obligation of Khums payment is annual, try

to pay it monthly.The businessman says, “I followed his instructions for a

couple of months until on one occasion I was praying behindthe Sheikh in one of the mosques in Tehran. During the pray-er, to my astonishment, I noticed that the Imam was moment-arily disappearing. Immediately after the prayer I shared myobservation with him. With a big surprise he humbly repliedthat before he attended the prayer, he had been involved insome family problems and hence could not fully focus on hisprayer at all times. It was only then that I realised I hadmy first mystical experience. The Imam had been disappearingfrom his position every time he lost his concentration duringthe prayer.”

Imam Khomeini (r.a) said: “My teacher, the late Shah-Abadi was recommending to me to frequently reciteSurah al-Hashr (59) especially from Ayah 18 to the endof the Surah.”

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The Perfect Arif; Grand Ayatollah Shah-Abadi departed thistemporary world to his eternally dwelling in nearness to hisBeloved One; the Almighty in 1950 (1875AH) and his body wasburied at the shrine of Hazrat Shah-Abdul-Azim in Tehran.

References:1. Arif Kaamel by Research Department of the Cultural In-

stitution of Shahid Shah-Abadi2. Shah-Abadi Bozorg; the heaven of Irfan, by Mohammad

Ali Mohammadi[1] Another important teacher of Imam Khumeini in Irfan was

Ayatollah Mirza Jawad Maleki.[2] Sharh Fosoos by al-Qounawi, the second most advanced

textbook in Theoretical Irfan, is an explanation on FosoosulHekam ( the Gems of Wisdom) by Ibn al-Arabi.

[3] Mesbahul-Ons (the Light of Intimacy) by Ibn Fanari, themost advanced textbook in Theoretical Irfan, is an explanationfor ‘Meftahul-Ghayb’ by al-Qoonawi

[4] Manaselu Saa’erin by Khaje Abdullah al-Ansari with itsmost famous explanation by al-Kashani is the main textbook inPractical Irfan.

{5] Salawat of Fatima (s.a) is to say: “ Allahumma Sallé AlaaFatima Wa Abiha Wa Ba’leha Wa Baniha Wa Serrel Mosta’da’eFeeha Be Adadeh Maa Ahata Behi Elmok.

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Chapter 5Ayatullah Muhammad Radha Gulpaygani -(1898-1993)

Born : On : 1898 AD At : ,Iran

Died : On : 9th Dec Thursday 1993 ADAt : Qum, Iran

Age 95 years

Ayatullah Gulpaygani was born on the wiladat of the8th Imam and was therefore named Muhammad Radha. He lostboth his parents at a very young age; his mother died when hewas 3 years old and his father died when he was 9 years old.His father’s name was Syed Muhammad Baqir Imam; he was arenowned aalim for his worldly detachment and Taqwa (God-Consciousness), and was very diligent on correct etiquette,performing the mustahabaat (recommended acts) of thereligion, Amr-bil-Ma’ruuf and Nahi anil Munkar. His grave isstill a place where people go and perform Ziyarat.

Ayatullah Gulpaygani was not much more then a teenagerwhen he discovered intense love for learning Islamic know-ledge from his teacher, Ayatullah Syed Muhammad HassanKhonsari, and his Arabic language teacher, Syed MuhammadTaqi Gawdhi. At the age of 19 years he went to the city of Arak,and joined the Madressa of Agha Syed Zayauldeen

where he completed his initial studies, before joining the les-sons of Usul Fiqh at the Dars-e-Kharij level taught by AyatullahAbdul Karim Haeri Yazdi for three years.

His migration to Qom:At the age of 24 years, Ayatullah Gulpaygani followed his

teacher Ayatullah Haeri (who had moved to Qom to form the

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Hawza) to the Holy city of Qom, and joined the Faiziya Mad-ressa. His teacher Ayatullah Haeri saw the tremendous poten-tial and talent in him and became extremely fond of him.

He made Ayatullah Gulpaygani one of his private disciplesand placed him in the council to answer religious queries.

Ayatullah Gulpaygani gained permission from AyatullahHaeri to practice Ijtihad.

As soon as Ayatullah Gulpaygani arrived in Qom in the year1921, he immediately became involved in teaching at theHawza and taught well known texts such as Makasib, Rasail

and Kifaye. After the death of Ayatullah Haeri, he began toteach Fiqh and Usul at the Dars-e-Kharij level and for 70 yearstaught the knowledge of the Ahlul Bayt (as).

Some his well known students include: Martyr Murtadha Mu-tahhari, Syed Muhammad Hussein Beheshti, Ayatullah JafferSubhani, Ayatullah Saafi Gulpaygani and Ayatullah

Hassan Zadeh Amuli. Ayatullah Gulpaygani was a Marja-e-Taqleed for over 32 years and on a daily basis used to be busyanswering questions from all over the world. He also issuedfatwas on all areas of fiqh, which are currently available in anumber of texts.

His political role:From the beginning of the revolution, even though Ayatullah

Gulpaygani put his own life at risk, he played a significant roleduring the revolution and the fight against the Shah’s

regime. He was one of the first Ulema to protest against acontroversial bill passed in 1922, and he continued issuingstatements till the fall of the regime.

Akhlaq:Among his characteristics were: lack of worldly attachments,

humility, making use of opportunities and encouragement ofaalims and writers. He placed a great emphasis on recitingand memorising the Qur’an; every day/night, he would com-plete 2 chapters of the Qur’an, despite any pains, etc. He alsoplaced emphasis on respect towards teachers; he would reciteSura

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Fateha for his teacher before every class, and paid great re-spect to the son of his teacher, Ayatullah Murtadha Haeri, eventhough he himself was his teacher.

AYATULLAH AL-U²MA AL-HAJ AS-SAYYID MUHAMMADRIDHA AL-GULPAYGAN« departed for his heavenly abode onThursday night, 9th of December at the age of 96. He sufferedfrom acute respiratory deficiency and lung infection for whichhe was confined to the hospital. The Ayatullah who was the su-preme religious authority of the Shi'a world, became terminallyill immediately after midnight Tuesday and was shed to theCardiac Care Unit of the hospital but his condition continued todeteriorate, despite the extra care and attention of the doctors.

Ayatullah al-Gulpaygani went into a coma on Wednesdaymorning and eventually left the mortal world minutes beforethe evening prayers on Thursday.

He was born in the village of Koukeh near the city of Gulpay-gan (135 kms north-east of Isfahan) in the closing years of the19th century. At the age of 20, he went to Arak which was thecentre of the Theological studies. There, he received his educa-tion under Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma ash-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Karim al-Hairi. Later in 1921 he went to the city of Qum to complete hisstudies.

In the early 1960’s following the death of Ayatullah al-‘U¨maal-Hajj as-Sayyid Mu¦ammad Hussein al-Burujerdi and duringthe banishment of Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajj as-SayyidR£¦ullah al-Musawi al-Khumayni from Iran, he became superin-tendent of the Qum Theological Seminary. He took over the ad-ministration of the school at a crucial time when both the theo-logical school and Islamic scholars were in at stake due to re-pressive measures directed by the Shah. At that time he hadabout 800 students who attended his classes and received ad-vanced training in religious studies.

Ayatullah al-Gulpaygani is the author of a number of schol-arly works and treatises, as well as commentaries on variousother valuable Islamic works. Among them is an annotation on‘Urwatul Wuthqa’, 'Taw¤i¦ al-Masa’il', ‘Manasik al-Hajj' andmany others.

He rendered valuable services during his superintendence ofthe Theological Seminary in Qum, and also helped establish

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almost 30 theological schools in various towns and citiesthroughout Iran, as well as health clinics for students and oth-er types of public utility centers in many parts of the countryand abroad as well.

Ayatullah al-Gulpaygani was a great scholar and Marja’ andhe had many followers throughout the world. He subscribed tothe concept of Wilayat-e-Faqihi put forward by Ayatullah al-Khumayni.

The present Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatullah as-Sayyid ‘Ali al-Husaini al-Khamenei’, expressed deep condol-ence over the sad demise of the Grand Ayatullah Mu¦ammadRi¤a al-Gulpaygani. He was one of the pillars of the Islamic Re-volution and The Islamic Republic, said the leader in astatement.

During the oppressive rule of the former regime and in con-fronting the bitter incidents which occurred in the years afterthe banishment from Iran of Ayatullah al-Khumayni (in 1963),there were some occasions when the voice of this great person-ality was the only threatening voice against the former regime,which was raised from the Qum theological seminary and gaveenthusiasm to the Islamic movement.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he gave an activecontribution in managing the general affairs of the revolution,and he unequivocally supported the Islamic Republic systemand its exalted leadership. He was respected and honoured bythe late Ayatullah al-Khumayni.

“The departure of this divine scholar was a grave and irre-parable loss”, the statement added. It also stated that theGrand Ayatullah was a Marja‘ Taqlid for 32 years, a teacher atthe Qum theological seminary for about 72 years, while hislearning and teaching Fiqh (Jurisprudence) lasted for about 85years.

He was the first person to establish modern theological sem-inary and his institute was the one for Qur’anic studies in Qum.He was the first person to prepare a table of contents for Fiqhand Hadith (Tradition) by using modern technology (computersand CD-Rom).

He founded hundreds of schools, mosques and Islamicpropagation centres in Iran and other countries, and hebrought up thousands of scholars.

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Chapter 6Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Khonsari -(1850-1951)

Born : On : 1274 H AD At : , IranDied : On : 1951 AD At : Qum,

IranAge :101 years

Ayatullah Khonsari was from the lineage of the 7th Imam,Imam Musa Kadhim Β, and was the son of Allamah SyedAsadullah.

Ayatullah Khonsari was introduced to the knowledge of Islamfrom a very young age; he had not even reached the age of 7when he had already learnt Arabic Grammar, Introductionto Islamic Knowledge, and a section of Usul and Fiqh. In orderto take the initial studies (that he had begun with his father)to another level, Ayatullah Khonsari made his way to theHawza in Najaf. He attended lessons in Fiqh and Usul,taughtby the great scholars Ayatullah Mullah Khorasani and Ayatul-lah Muhammad Kadhim Tabatabi Yazdi. He then continued hislearning in Usul under Ayatullah Naainee and Ayatullah AghaDhaya Iraqi. Although he had reached the station of Ijtihad, henever actually made a point to formalise this achievement, andit was only when Ayatullah Khonsar returned to Iran thatAyatullah Iraqi sent him a formal letter of proof confirmingthat he had obtained the qualifications of Ijtihad.

Ayatullah Iraqi used to many times comment on the statusand worth of Ayatullah Khonsari.

His time in the war front during the First World War:In the beginning of the First World War, the Ottoman empire

was allied with Germany. In 1903, with the arrival of

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the British in Iraq and their conquest of Basra and the neigh-bouring areas, it was a very sensitive time indeed. The Otto-man Empire sought help from the Shia Ulema, and althoughthe spread of despotism around Iraq was because of the Otto-man Government, the Ulema could not just sit on the sidelinesand observe the Holy City of Iraq being trampled over. Thus,many of the Maraje issued a fatwa of Jihad, but because oftheir old age, they sent their children to the war front as theirrepresentatives. Another group of Mujtahids themselves alsochose the path of Jihad. It was during the period of Muharramthat this sensational fatwa was issued. Ayatullah Khonsari lefthis studies and with a vanguard of scholars including AyatullahSyed Mustafa Kashani (his study partner), made his way to thewarfront in the neighbourhood of Basra, via the River Eu-phrates in a ship. He shared a bunker in the frontline withAyatullah Mustafa Kashani and Agha Baktiyari Zaade. He wasa soldier always full of life, even when the going used to gettough or the enemy was on the offensive. What was more sur-prising was a time when the enemy had placed them under in-tense siege and were getting closer and closer; whilst most ofthe soldiers were preparing for the worst, Ayatullah Khonsariwas getting more and more passionate and intense about hisprayers, which he used to pray with a great amount of fervour.

Being taken a prisoner:During the war, a part of Ayatullah Khonsari’s foot became

wounded and he got taken prisoner. The occupiersgathered the prisoners of war in the port of Basra, and fromthere they were gathered in ships and sent away into captivityto one of their colonies, the island of Singapore. AyatullahKhonsari was one of 400 people taken captive. The journeyto Singapore took four months and the captives were then heldin a prison in the middle of nowhere. During his time in pris-on, despite the very tough and severe environment, he contin-ued and strived to teach Logic and Wisdom and also managedto teach himself English from an Indian Raja. When the head ofthe prison became aware that Ayatullah Khonsari was a schol-ar and knew English, he requested him to translate a bookmeant to mislead the people; however, Ayatullah Khonsari re-fused and maybe it was because of this refusal that the

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wardens wanted to kill him. Ayatullah himself mentions that:‘One day all the prisoners had gone out, and I was behindalone. The warden brought a wild animal into the prison andlet it loose at the foot of the door. He then hit the wild animaland thus the animal approached me with ferocity.

It came very close to me but ended up doing nothing. It thenwent back to the foot of the door and then returned back to-wards me. It did this a number of times, but each time didnothing to me.’Ayatullah Khonsari spent 4 years in prison andwas only released because of the efforts of the Raja from India,who tried for his release as soon as he himself was releasedfrom prison.

His salaat:Ayatullah’s salaat used to be a wonderful event. Belief in Al-

lah was so manifested in him that in salaam he used tocast aside the veils and his soul used to be in the remembranceof Heaven. He himself said: ‘When I stand for salaat, it is as ifI am having a conversation with Allah and facing him.’ He alsoled salaat-e-jamaat at Faiziya Madressa, where the people whousually had many doubts about the adalat (justice) of theImams of salaat-e-jamaat did not just follow anyone. However,they prayed behind him without any problems or objections.

Salaat for rain:One of the most important events to show the status of

Ayatollah was the event of the salaat for rain. In the cityof Qom in the Iranian year 1323 (approx. 1944 AD), the rainshad not arrived and the food levels had reached critical levels.

The people saw the recital of ‘salaat-e-Istagasa’ (prayer forrain) as a solution to the drought. They approached theUlema to lead the prayer and although a couple of the Ulemadeclined the offer to recite the prayer, Ayatullah Khonsariwas unable to refuse the request of the people. The newsspread around the city of Qom that Ayatullah Khonsari was dueto lead the prayer on the Friday. 20,000 people gathered to-gether to recite the salaat at a location known as Khak-e-Faraj.On that day the prayer for rain was not responded to. AyatullahKhonsari, who had perceived the beneficence of Allah manytimes before, knew very well that by begging from Allah, the

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dua would eventually be accepted. Therefore, he made a de-cision to go and say the prayer again; they decided to go to thegarden behind the graveyard of ‘Nawabpaa’. When sunset ar-rived on the Sunday, the sky turned red and cloudy and rainfell with such intensity that it is said rain like that had not beenseen until then. Someone narrates: ‘That day, as per normal, Iwent to the Faiziya Madressa to say my salaat-e-jamaat behindAyatullah Khonsari. At the moment, I cannot remember thereason why there was a lecture in the Faiziya Madressa afterthe evening salaat, but Marhum Hajji Muhammad Taki Ishraqiwas giving a lecture when it began to rain…that evening itrained extensively.’

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Chapter 7Ayatullah Al-Uzama Bahauddini -(1909-1997)

Birth 1909Death 1997Age 89 yrs

Ayatullah Bahauddini was born on the day of Eid-e-Ghadeerto a religious family, who named him Syed Radha. His lineagegoes back to Imam Sajjad Β. Syed Radha’s father was calledSyed Safiyudin, and had the distinction of being one of thehumble volunteers in the haram of Bibi Ma’sooma ϑ. SyedSafiyudin, together with having a very good memory, had avery intimate relationship with the Holy Qur’an which he usedto love to read.

Ayatullah Bahudinni’s mother was called Fatemah Sultani,and was famously known as ‘the wife of Agha.’ She was a verypious and sincere lady as well as a very kind, affectionate andclever person. She was from the offspring of Mullah SadraShirazi, who was a scholar of very high calibre. Her content-ment, simplicity in her life and her love and attachment for herhusband was what distinguished her from others. She also hada very intimate relationship with the Qur’an and a real familiar-ity with the duas of the Ma’sumin.

Ayatullah Bahauddini in his childhood:During his childhood, Ayatullah Bahauddini always showed

signs of an extraordinary memory, a great aptitude and wasable to perceive everything around him. He himself narratedthat: ‘When I was one year old, I used to really like people of apure nature, and I used to get attached to them at the level of

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the soul. I could distinguish between good and evil, and I wasalso able to distinguish between good and righteous peopleand those that were evil and rebellious.’

When Syed Radha reached the age of two, they had set up aschool for him at home where he learnt Surah Hamd and SurahTawheed, the Qur’an and the Adhan and Iqamah; it was alsoduring this age that he started reading and writing. At the ageof six he joined another school and began to study Arabicvocabulary and other texts.

Right from his youth, Ayatullah Bahauddini used to havegreat love for praying salaat-ul-layl and fasting. For years heengaged in these two forms of worship (so much) that it had agreat inner effect on his soul.

On this point he narrates that: ‘The first time that I connec-ted with the souls of the great scholars from the heavenly king-dom was when I was persevering with an extremely tough fast.I also used to feel intense love and inner desire to perform thenight prayer, so much so that even a sweet sleep had no valueagainst the pleasure of reciting salaat-ul-layl.

This love for salaat-ul-layl was so great that I used to auto-matically wake up when the time would arrive; even on nightswhen I was very tired, a ‘hand’ from the heavenly world usedto wake me up. I remember that in the Iranian year 1356 (ap-prox. 1977 AD), I was sick and the result of this illness wasthat I had become extremely weak. I therefore made a decisionthat on that evening, I will take a break from reciting thesalaat-ul-layl, because of lack of strength.

However, when the time of pre-dawn arrived I saw AyatullahKhomeini in my dream and he said to me, ‘Wake up and busyyourself in the prayer of the night.’ That evening, because ofImam Khomeini’s words, I woke up and busied myself in thenight prayer.’

An anecdote from his life:One of the devotees of Ayatullah Bahauddini narrates: ‘In the

summer of 1974, great economic pressure weighed me and myfamily down, such that I couldn’t buy (even) a few fruits for myfamily. Because of this, I was in a lot of pain and suffering.Even though my wife did not speak about this, my inner worryand ashamed conscience had made life hard on me.

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One night at the time of Maghrib, I was on my way to theHusseiniya of the Ayatullah to pray salaat-e-jamaat behind him(Ayatullah Bahauddini). When I passed a fruit shop,withoutrealising it, it crossed my mind that how good it would be if Ihad some money and could buy some fruits of the season (just)once for home!

When I entered the Husseiniya, Ayatullah's gaze fell on me.He came near me and said: ‘So-and-so! There is some money,should I bring it for you?’ After thinking a bit, I said:‘Ok.’ Aftersalaat he went to his house and brought 1,500 Tomans for me.It was as if he was aware of my niyyat!’

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Chapter 8Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi - (1875-1961)Birth: 1875 1292 AH Death: March 30, 1961 (aged 86)1381 AH.

Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi (1875-1961) (Per-sian: ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???????) was a Twelver Shi'aMarja and the leading Marja in Iran from roughly 1947to his death in 1961.[1]

Education and academic specialtiesBorujerdi was born in the city of Borujerd in the province of

Lorestan in Iran, hence the surname.In his youth, Borujerdi studied under a number of Shi'ite

masters of Islamic jurisprudence such as Mohammad-KazemKhorasani and Aqa Zia Iraqi, and specialized in fiqh. He stud-ied the fiqahat of all the Islamic schools of thought, not just hisown, along with the science of rijal. Though he is known for cit-ing masoomeen to support many of his deductions, Borujerdi isknown for elucidating many aspects himself and is an influen-tial fiqh jurist in his own right. He has had a strong influenceon Islamic scholars like Morteza Motahhari and AyatollahShaikh Husain Montazeri.

Tenure as Ayatollah and MarjaBorujerdi revived the hawza of Qom in 1945 (1364 AH),

which had waned after the death in 1937 of its founder,Shaykh Abdul Karim Ha'iri. When Sayyid Abul Hassan Isfahanidied the following year, the majority of Shi'a accepted Ayatul-lah Borujerdi as Marja'-e-Taqlid. Scholar Roy Mottahedeh re-ports that Borujerdi was the sole marja "in the Shia world"from 1945-6 until his death in 1961.[2]

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Efforts toward Islamic unityBorujerdi was the first Marja' to look beyond Iraq and Iran.

He sent Sayyid Muhaqqiqi to Hamburg, Germany, Aqa-e-Shari'at to Karachi, Pakistan, Al-Faqihi to Madinah and SayyidMusa Sadr to Lebanon.

He established cordial relations with Shaykh Mahmud Shal-tut, the grand Shaykh of Al-Azhar. Together, the two scholarsestablished the "House for Bringing Muslim Sects Nearer" inCairo. Shaltut issued a famous fatwa accepting the Shi'a faithas one of the recognised sects of Islam. and Ayatullah SayyidHusain Burojirdi vehemently opposed those who attacked theKhulafa' in their speeches and writings.

Political leaningsUnlike many clergy and temporal rulers, Borujerdi and Shah

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, are said to have had cordial and mu-tually beneficial relations, starting with a visit by the not-yet-Shah to Borujerdi's hospital room in 1944. Borujerdi is said tohave generally remained aloof from politics and given the Shahhis "tacit support," while the Shah did not follow his father'sharsh anti-clericalism (for example he exempted clergy frommilitary service), and until Borujerdi's death occasionally vis-ited the cleric.[3]Borujerdi's belief in quietism, or separation of church fromstate, extended to keeping silent in public on such issues asIsrael's treatment of the Palestinians, the overthrow of Mo-hammed Mossadeq and the end of his campaign to nationalizeand control the British-owned oil industry in Iran, and theBaghdad Pact alliance with the US and UK.[4] It is thoughtthat as a reward for this support the Shah ensured more reli-gious instruction in state schools, tightened control of cinemasand other offensive secular entertainment during Moharram.Ayatollah Borujerdi passively opposed the Pahlavi regime'sagrarian reforms, which he called "agrarian destruction."[5] Inhis view, the confiscations of large concentrations of landhold-ings of aristocrats and clergy by the Pahlavi shahs disruptedthe fabric of rural life and eroded religious institutions.Future revolutionary Ruhollah Khomeini was an underling ofBorujerdi and Borujerdi forbade him to take part in political

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activities, a ban which only ended with Borujerdi's death.Influ-enced: Morteza Motahhari

DeathHe died in Qum on 13th Shawaal 1381 AH. at the ripe age of

90. Borujerdi died in Qom on March 30, 1961.[6] The Shahproclaimed three days of mourning and attended a memorialservice in his honor.[7]

BIOGRAPHY OF LATE AYATOLLAH BORUJERDI

Sayyid Hussain Tabatabaii Borujerdi, popularlyknown as Haaj Agha Hussain Borujerdi, son of Sayyid Ali, wasborn in the year 1292 A.H. (Lunar) in Borujerd, and passedaway in the morning of Thursday, 12th Shawwal 1380 A.H./Lunar (10th Farvardin 1340 A.H./Solar) in Qum. He was a fam-ous Faqeeh (Shi’ite Jurisprudent) and a great Marja’ (Chief Re-ligious Authority) of the 14th century Hegira.

EDUCATION:Ayatollah Borujerdi had his primary education in Borujerd.

He then attended Noorbakhsh seminary in Borujerd where hecompleted his preliminary and intermediate Islamic education.From the year 1310 A.H. he pursued further the learning ofIslamic sciences, including philosophy, in the city of Isfahan. In1319 he attained the status of Ijtihad (competence for infer-ence of Islamic decrees and precepts) at the age of 28 when hereturned to his hometown, Borujerd. In 1320 A.H. he went tothe holy city of Najaf, and completed his education by the year1328.

HIS TEACHERS:He was taught religious sciences in Isfahan by great reli-

gious teachers like Sayyid Muhammad Baaqir Durcheyi, MirzaAbul-Maali Kalbasi, Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Mudarris andSayyid Abul-Qasim Dehkordi. In Najaf, his teachers includedAkhund Khorasani, Sayyid Muhammad Kazem Yazdi andSheikh Shariat Isfahani. He was taught philosophy byrenowned teachers such as Mullah Muhammad Kashi andHakim Jahangir Khan Qashqaii in Isfahan as well.

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HIS TRAVELS:After completing his education in Najaf, Ayatollah Borujerdi

returned to Borujerd in 1328 and took his residence there forseveral years. After years of residence in Borujerd, he traveledand lectured in different places. Wherever he went, he wasgraciously welcomed by local dignitaries and Ulema who re-quested him to hold teaching and discussion sessions. Histravels are detailed below:

- Travel to Mashad in 1340, where he stayed for severalmonths

- Travel to Qum on his way back from Mashad; his so-journ in these two cities lasted 1.5 years.

- Haj Pilgrimage in 1345; this travel was made throughIraq, where he stayed for four months in Najaf. There he waswelcomed by distinguished Ulema including Grand AyatollahsMirzaye Naiini, Sayyid Abul-Hasan Isfahani, Agha DhiyauddinIraqi, and Sheikh Muhammad Hussain Isfahani. While return-ing from Haj and upon his arrival at the Iranian border withIraq, he was arrested and taken to Tehran for the reason ofparticipation in a gathering of Ulema in Najaf against RezaShah (the incumbent king of Iran).

- After his release from detention he stayed in Tehranfor nearly three months before proceeding to Mashad. After astay of seven months in Mashad he returned to Borujerd.

- Towards the end of the year 1363 A.H./Lunar (1323A.H./Solar) he traveled to Tehran for medical treatments. Hewas hospitalized in Firoozabadi Hospital in Shahre-Rey fornearly two months. After his discharge from the hospital inearly 1364 A.H./Lunar (winter of 1323 A.H./Solar), he went toQum and spent the rest of his life over there.

- Travel to Mashad in the summer of 1324 (A.H./Solar)for a period of three months

INCUMBENCY OF THE POST OF SUPERINTENDENCE OFHAWZAH ILMIYYAH (THEOLOGICAL CENTER) OF QUM, ANDATTAINING THE POSITION OF MARJAIYYAT AAM (CHIEFRELIGIOUS AUTHORITY):

In the winter of 1323 A.H./Solar, after leaving the hospital,Ayatollah Borujerdi arrived in Qum. Upon the request and

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insist of dignitaries and Ulema of Hawzah Ilmiyyah of Qum,Ayatullah Borujerdi agreed to undertake the overall responsib-ility for running the Qum Theological Center. At the same timemany of the teachers and educators of Hawzah stopped theirclasses to pay respect to him as the prominent teacher ofHawzah.

Before long, his Muqallideen (followers of his decrees) in-creased in number. The demise of Ayatollah Sayyid Abul-HasanIsfahani in 1325 A.H./Solar, and a few months later, demise ofAyatollah Haaj Agha Hussain Qummi, resulted in their Shi’itefollowers turning to Ayatollah Borujerdi as their new Marja’eTaqleed (Source of issuing Islamic Jurisprudential decrees).Thus, the chair of Marjaiyyat Aam (chief religious authority)was taken by Ayatollah Borujerdi.

AYATOLLAH BORUJERDI’S ERUDITE PERSONALITY:Ayatollah Borujerdi had already become well known

for his erudition, especially in the religious sciences, as evid-enced by the acclaim he received in his travels to Mashad,Qum and Najaf.

While learning at Najaf, he himself taught the book “Al-Fosul” as well. In the branch of science known as ‘Usule Fiqh’(Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) he followed the views ofAkhund Khorasani; and in his lectures on this subject, he triedto be brief and to make discussions easy and simplified. Hewas careful about proper understanding of the viewpoints ofthe past Shiite Jurisprudents whose decrees he collected andexamined thoroughly and held in esteem, especially those ofHassan Ibne Abi Aquil Ummani and Muhammad Ibne JunaidIskafi.

He believed that Traditions, Sayings, and Narrationsof Shiite infallible Imams (A.S.) were best understood by refer-ring to the narrations and decrees issued by Sunnite contem-poraries of the Imams (A.S.), for in those days Sunnite decreeswere prevailing, and even the disciples of the Holy Imams(A.S.) used to ask them their questions according to the de-crees of Sunnite people, and the Imams also replied on thesame basis. For this very reason, Ayatollah Borujerdi con-sidered that reference to the Sunnite decrees, constituted apart of the prerequisite studies pertaining to Fiqh. He said:

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“The earlier Shiite Jurisprudents were aware of the opposingviews on problems”. He added: “The ancient scholars quotedSunnite decrees in their books or in their lessons and subjectedthem to their critical evaluation.” For this reason he initiatedprinting of Sheikh Tusi’s book entitled “Al-Khilaf” for the firsttime.

To infer Islamic precepts and decrees, Ayatollah Bor-ujerdi relied more on a careful scrutiny to the Traditions/Nar-rations than on practicalities. With regard to different narra-tions which were all cited by a single narrator, Ayatollah Bor-ujerdi juxtaposed them altogether, and most often this juxta-position resulted in his conclusion that all of them were relatedto the same original Tradition or source, which had come to beinterpreted and assimilated in various ways later by the suc-ceeding narrators.

WRITINGS / COMPILATIONS:In addition to some monographs written by his stu-

dents, writings of Ayatollah Borujerdi himself included thefollowing:

1) Jame' Ahadith Ul-Shia’ (The Comprehensive Book ofShiite Traditions/Narrations)

2) An Encyclopedia that includes an index of narrators, aswell as a bibliography of writings on the subjects of ‘Rijal’ and‘Hadith’(Traditions) along with their documentations

3) Hashiah (Annotations) on the book ‘Urwatul-Wuthqa’4) Hashiah (Annotations) on Sheikh Tusi’s ‘Khilaf’5) Sharh (Explanatory Monograph) on the book

‘Kifayatul-Usul’

SERVICES RENDERED BY AYATOLLAH BORUJERDIDURING HIS TENURE AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OFHAWZAH ILMIYYAH OF QUM

During the days of Reza Shah, the Hawzah Ilmiyyah ofQum was weakened. After Ayatollah Borujerdi undertook theadministration and management of the seminary, its powerwas restored.

The institution became self-supporting after the public in-creasingly reposed their confidence in and allegiance to him asMarja’e Taqleed (their Jurisprudential advisor).

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The administrative and educational improvements becameevident. For instance, with regard to the matter of collection ofIslamic taxes, all cases of appointments of individuals as prox-ies for this purpose were duly registered. Also all correspond-ence was recorded.

The number of students, which totaled some two thousand(2000) when Ayatollah Borujerdi took over, had trebled by thetime of his death.

Specific improvements in the teaching system were also no-ticeable. Ayatollah Borujerdi was successful to set up a system-atic curriculum in the Hawzah Ilmiyyah. Some teachers wereappointed or nominated to be responsible for students’ tests.The students were requested to take the examinations, andtheir stipend payment was made conditional upon their parti-cipation in the exams. This requirement met with some formid-able opposition, inasmuch as in Najaf, Ayatollah Istahbanatibanned participation in such exams. Although a senior Ayatol-lah, Sayyid Abdul-Hadi Shirazi, supported the exams requiredby Ayatollah Borujerdi, due to the intension of oppositions,Ayatollah Borujerdi himself ordered the examination schedulein Najaf to be cancelled.

Ayatollah Borujerdi was interested in good handwrit-ing and correct syntax in writing, to the extent that he wantedto include them in the syllabi for the purpose of the tests.

He encouraged diligent students, and thereby contributed tothe growth of learning level at the seminary.

By publishing magazines like “Lessons From The IslamicSchool”, he provided opportunity for the accomplished indi-viduals at Hawzah to express their own views and make themknown inside the country or beyond the borders of Iran.

Among Ayatollah Borujerdi’s commendable initiatives is thatof dispatching missionaries abroad in connection with Islamicpropagation and educational activities. One of his envoys wasSheikh Muhaqqiq Rashti who went to Germany and was able toestablish a grand, magnificent mosque in Hamburg.

AYATOLLAH BORUJERDI’S VIEWS ON BRINGING ABOUTPROXIMITY AMONG DIFFERENT ISLAMIC SECTS:

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Ayatollah Borujerdi was a protagonist of unity andsolidarity of the Islamic world and tried to create a kind ofproximity among different Muslim sects. In this connection, hecorresponded with Dar ul-Taqrib (Center of Proximity) in Cairoand its founders, including Sheikh Abdul-Majid Salim andSheikh Mahmood Shaltut, the former Rectors of Al-Az’harUniversity. Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Qummi, as the Secretary-General, represented Ayatollah Borujerdi in Dar ul-Taqrib,Cairo.

Continuous communications and contacts of Ayatollah Bor-ujerdi with Dar ul-Taqrib and the Rectors of Al-Az’harUniversity resulted in Sheikh Shaltut’s historic Fatwa (IslamicDecree) concerning attestation of the legitimacy of the “Shiite”sect. It introduced the Shiite Sect as one of the legitimateIslamic Schools of Thought to all Muslims and others in theworld.

Ayatollah Borujerdi, was sensitive and averse towards sec-tarian divisiveness among Muslims, and tried his very best toprevent it. He did not recommend, or justify, any undue focusof attention on the issue of caliphate and its historical account.When dealing with the topic of Imamate, too, he abstainedfrom being engaged in the issue of caliphate. On the contrary,he considered the issue of caliphate as a historical event that ispassed, and does not call for a discussion at the present time.

The important matter, he believed, was to identify thesources of “Ahkam” (Islamic decrees and precepts). For thisreason, he highlighted the importance of the scientific dimen-sion of Imamate according to what the holy Prophet (S.A.) hasstated in the famous ‘Hadith of Thaqalain’.

AYATOLLAH BORUJERDI AND THE PAHLAVI REGIMEAs mentioned earlier, Ayatollah Borujerdi was arres-

ted and imprisoned once. That was in the year 1306 A.H./Solarwhen he returned from Haj, and passed - in his route - throughthe holy city of Najaf.

His visit to Najaf coincided with the group immigration of theUlema of Isfahan to Qum in protest against the compulsory mil-itary service, a law that was approved by the order of RezaShah. In this connection, a secret session was held at the

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residence of Ayatollah Mirzaye Naiini wherein a group ofUlema, including Ayatollah Borujerdi, took part.

In that session, it was agreed that Ayatollah Borujerdi, as theproxy of Najaf Grand Ayatollahs, Naiini and Ishafahni, travel toTehran. Later on the matter was dropped and Ayatollah Bor-ujerdi, too, declined to undertake such a task. Then, AyatollahBorujerdi stayed on at Najaf for a few months before proceed-ing to Iran via Qasre Shirin border check post where he wasarrested and shifted to Tehran’s ‘Arkan Harb’ garrison, a de-tention center.

In a short time he was found not guilty and released.His release order was issued by Reza Shah on the occasion ofhis visit to Borujerd to attend the funeral ceremony of AmirLashkar Tahmasbi (murdered on 1307 A.H./Solar). It was inthat trip that the Tabatabaii Family, which was considered tobe very influential in the Lorestan region, requested Reza Shahto liberate the Ayatollah (Tabatabaii) Borujerdi, who belongedto same family.

After his release, Ayatollah Borujerdi met Reza Shah and re-commended him to avoid distancing himself form the clergy.

Also, as Ayatollah had closely seen the conditions of the sol-diers in ‘Arkan Harb’ garrison, he had told Reza Shah to in-crease the ration of the soldiers from serving boiled rice onceweekly to twice weekly, because they were ‘soldiers of Islam’,and this suggestion was much praised by Reza Shah.

Ayatollah Borujerdi then returned to his hometown, Bor-ujerd, where he stayed on in an isolated manner until the deathof Reza Shah due to severe prevailing tyrannical conditions.

When Mohammed Reza Shah succeeded his father,tried to consolidate his royal position and justify his reign byestablishing contacts with the religious Ulema, which includeda royal visit to the sick Ayahollah Borujerdi in the year 1323A.H./S in Firoozabadi hospital, Shahre Rey. Ayatollah Borujerdimade some observations, among them he recommended theShah that there should be no longer any negligence in religionsmatters.

Earlier, during Reza Shah’s time, when Ayatollah Borujerdiwas imprisoned, he had proved that was by no means im-pressed by the royal might.

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Also in the event of Reza Shah’s deposal in the month ofShahrivar, 1320 A.H./Solar, when Ayatollah Qummi had cometo Iran, and the Shah’s administration ignored his requests,Ayatollah Borujerdi sent a telegram to Ayatollah Qummi andthereby stated that he was ready to come to Tehran, if neces-sary. It is said that such a telegram at that time had been oneof the factors that influenced the subsequent acceptance bythe government, of Ayatollah Qummi’s requests.

Yet, with all his bold encounters, Ayatollah Borujerdi re-mained wary of politics, in which he intervened only to the ex-tent necessary. With a lifetime of high-level encounters and ex-perience of various events, he remained careful in exercisinghis political acumen. Moreover, during the 1320s and 1330s ofthe Solar Hegira calendar, the activists of the ‘Tudeh’ commun-ist party were making serious efforts in Iran, and at the sametime, Iran was under great pressure by foreign governments.Under those circumstances, the Ayatollah considered it ratherexpedient not to weaken the government of Shah to an extentmore than necessary. Thus, Ayatollah Borujerdi’s opposition tothe Shah was not too overt, in that he did reply appropriatelyto the royal telegrams, and on occasions complied with royalrequests for his audience.

Nonetheless, whenever necessary, the Ayatollah did not hes-itate to encounter royalty with firmness, and even sometimesby sending threatening messages.

Such opposition was effective in preventing implementationof some of the governmental plans. For instance, in the year1338 AH/S, Ayatollah Borujerdi effectively opposed the pro-posed Latinization of the Persian script.

The Ayatollah, furthermore, supported those who were strug-gling against the Shah, and he was instrumental in nullifyingattempts by Shah’s agents to enlist support of the Ulema ofQum against the opposition group of ‘Jibheye Melli’ and ‘Mu-saddiq (the incumbent Prime Minister)’

SOURCES:1) MARJAIYYAT DAR ARSEYE IJTIMAA’ WA

SIAASAT (i.e. Marjaiyyat In The Arena Of Society And Politics),by Sayyid Muhammad Hussain Manzoorul-Ajdad, ShirazehPublications, Tehran

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2) HAYAT UL-IMAM AL-BORUJERDI (i.e. The Bio-graphy of Ayatollah Borujerdi), by Muhammad Wa’ez-zadehKhorasani, Published by ‘Majmaye Taqrib Madhaheb Islami’,Tehran

Ayatullah Burujerdi (R.A.) storyIt has been narrated about the spiritual station of the

great marja, Ayatullah Muhammad Husein Burujerdi (d.1961),that he had made a vow (nadhr) that if he ever uttered inap-propriate words when angry, he would fast for a wholeyear (to train his soul). Indeed, he had a very lofty station.

He himself has said, “Before I came to Qom, I used to hearthe voices of angels, but after I arrived here and became occu-pied and busy in the role of Marja, I lost that blessing!”

Ayatullah Burujerdi was a marja whose credentials as a su-preme authority have been endorsed by Amir al-Mu’mineen(A.S.) himself. Allamah Nahawandi relates the followingincident:

“When the late Ayatullah Burujerdi came to Mashad, I gavehim my place in the holy shrine - that is, I asked him to leadthe prayers and I stood behind him, out of respect.” He contin-ues, “That same year, I was blessed with the opportunity to goto Najaf-al-Ashraf. The great marja, Ayatullah Sayyid Abu’lHasan Isfahani, who was the leader of the prayers in the court-yard of Amir al-Mu’mineen (A.S.), insisted that I lead the pray-ers. I was very surprised, that a man of the status of AyatullahIsfahani, to whom even the Imam of our Age (A) had written aletter stating: “Irkhas Nafsaka - Make yourself easily access-ible to the people - waj�al majlisataka fi al-dahliz - and sit inthe street outside your house (so people can easily benefit fromyour knowledge) - waqdhi hawaijan nas - and fulfil the needs ofthe people - nahnu nansuruka - we will help you - made mestand at the head of the prayers and himself stood behind me.”

Allamah Nahawandi says, “I was still wondering as to why ascholar of this great stature was following me in prayer. As Iprepared to say the opening takbir, I heard the voice of Amiral-Mu’mineen (A.S.)) coming from his sacred tomb, “Youshowed respect to my son Burujerdi, so we have also honouredand respected you, by making Sayyid Abu’l Hassan Isfahanipray behind you.”

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Ayatullah Burujerdi had made a vow, in order to train hissoul, that if he ever said something unbefitting in anger, hewould fast one whole year. One day he was sitting teaching aclass in Burujerd. At these times he had a great presence and aspecial dignity. A student began to argue with him, and Aghaanswered his query. He raised another objection, which wasalso answered. However, when he objected a third time,Ayatullah Burujerdi became momentarily angry and with an an-noyed tone, he said from the pulpit, “Be quiet, young man”.

However, realising what he had done, as soon as Agha fin-ished his class, he called that student and, in front of the wholeclass, he bowed and kissed his (student’s) hand and gavehim a cloak and 500 Tumans (a reasonable amount inthose days), and then said, “Forgive the mistake of Bur-ujerdi! I do not understand how the reins of my soul slippedfrom my hands and why I asked you to be quiet in front ofeveryone.”

From the very next day, Ayatullah Burujerdi began to fast- just for one harsh word, which in itself was neither backbitingnor a lie.

Taken from the speech of Haj Agha Hashimi Najhad, asquoted in “Karamat wa Hikayate Ashiqane Khuda” - “Mir-acles and Anecdotes of the Close Servants of Al-lah”. Translated AJ/091105.

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Chapter 9Sayed Arif Hussain Al Hussaini -(1946-1988)

BIRTH & FAMILY BACKGROUNDPara Chinar Pewar is a village where Sayed Arif Hussain

al Hussaini was born on November 25, 1946. His childhoodwas spent in the lanes and by-lanes of the village savoring theshades of the tall trees, climbing the hills and walking alongthe banks of the river. At a distance of 10 kilometresfrom Para Chinar is Pewarlocated at an elevationof 6,000 feet above sea level on Pakistan-Afghanistan bor-der. Three tribes inhabit the area—Ghund Kheel, Ali Zay-ee and Daveer Zayee. Sayed Arif Hussain al Hussaini des-cended from famous Sufi Saint Sayed Mir Aqil Shah AshrafBu Ali Qalandar ibn e Makhroli of Daveer Zay-ee tribe.Sayed Arif was tenth in the line of descent fromthis Sufi Saint who was a scion of Hussain al Asghar ibn eImam Zain al Abedin (a.s).

On November 25, 1946, at the time of the Adhaan for themorning- prayer Sayed Arif Hussain al Hussaini arrived inthis world. It was a very auspicious day for his father, SayedFadl Hussain that he was endowed with a son who would beknown for his learning and piety.

When Sayed Arif’s age was 5 years, his parents planned tostart his education.. He was admitted to the Primary Schoolat Pewar. They also arranged a tutor to teach him the HolyQuran at home. For 5 years Sayed Arif studied atthe Pewar school.. Then he mved to the High School at ParaChinar from where he obtained his Matriculation Certific-ate. From his early childhood Sayed Arif was very close to hismaternal uncle, Sayed Ghulam Abbas Shah. Once his mothercomplained why he spent most of his time with the elders.. He

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said that he enjoyed listening to the stories of the valorousdeeds of his forbears from them.

From early childhood Sayed Arif was very punctual at offer-ing his prayers. He used to sleep in his uncle’s room and alsooffered the Namaz e Shab along with him. The company of hisuncle had such an effect on his nature that while he was still achild he abhorred the practice of song and dance during mar-riage functions. After the school hours he used to spend sometime playing with his cousins. He liked taking the sheep tograze on the slopes of the hills. He would always take a bookalong to read while minding the flock.. He used to returnhome before the Maghrib Prayer which he offered along withhis uncle. After dinner he would busy himself in his studies.From his early childhood Sayed Arif was very jovial and had agood sense of humor. He used to make others laugh with hisrepartee. At times when someone came from outside and foundeveryone laughing, he would certainly know that it was SayedArif who had created the laughter! From his early days he im-pressed his teachers as a pious, obedient and truthful child. Ifever there was a dispute between the students in the class, theteacher would take action on the basis of his evidence. Duringhis entire education days he was never angry or cross with anyof his class-mates. In 1962, when he completedhis Matriculation, his parents wanted to send him to a degreecollege. But he was more inclined towards religious education.It was the time when Haji Ghulam Jafar of LuqmanQeel had laid the foundation ofMadrasa Jafaria in Para Ch-inar. In the beginning the Madrasa was located in a buildingof three rooms. Sayed Arif was one of the small group of stu-dents admitted to the Madrasa. The company of the other stu-dents and the Ulema at the Madrasa had a lasting impressionon the mind of young Sayed Arif. He used to regularly offerthe Tahajjud Prayer and recite the supplications. SayedArif had the urge to work for the uplift of the KaramAgency where his village Para Chinarwas situated.

PROCEEDS TO NAJAF E ASHRAF.. After spending some time in Para Chinar, Sayed Arif

Hussaini thought of proceeding to Najaf e Ashraf for furtherstudies. He therefore commenced his journey for the holy place

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along with his mentor, Maulana Ghulam Hussain BesutiHazara. Maulana Ghulam Jafar gave some advice toyoung Sayed Arifabout his stay in Najaf e Ashraf and alsogave him a letter of introduction to a senior student, MaulanaGul Ali Para Chinar.

Sayed Arif Hussain left the environs of his village sometimein 1967 and reached Najaf e Ashraf. He delivered the letterof his mentor to Maulana Gul Ali who received him withwarmth and after a few days took him to Ayatullah SayedMohsin Hakim. Aqai Mohsin Hakim was much impressedwith the family background of the Sayed and his enthusiasm topursue his studies. The Ayatullah prayed for the success ofthe young student and assured him of all possible help. Thementors under whom Sayed Arif Hussaini studied were: AqaiSheik Ashrafi Isfahani, Shaheed e Mehrab AyatullahHazrat Madani, Aqai Lankarani andAyatullah Murtadavi.

When Sayed Arif Hussaini was pursuing his studies withgreat determination at Najaf e Ashraf, Imam Khomeini wasliving a life of exile in the Holy City. TheImam used to leadthe Maghrib-Isha prayers at the Madrasa of AyatullahBarojardi. Sayed Arif Hussaini was one of the many stu-dents who made it a point to attend the prayers there! Afterthe prayers, Ayatollah Khomeini used to give talks at themosque which were of great interest for Sayed Arif. On re-turning to his hostel he used to recapitulate the talk of thegreat scholar to his hostel-mates and encouraged them to at-tend the talks of the Imam.

RETURNS HOMEMaulana Sayed Arif Hussaini returned home and got mar-

ried. After some time he again planned to go to Najaf eAshraf. But the Iraqi Government refused hin entry to thecountry because of his association with the activities of Ayatol-lah Khomeini. His desire to visit Najaf e Ashraf andmeet Ayatollah Khomeini made the young Sayed restless. Hetherefore proceeded to Qum after staying at home for a periodof 8 months. There he received instructions in the disciplineof Tareekh e Usool, Fiqh and Ilm e Kalam from AyatollahShaheed Murtada Muttahari, Ayatollah Nasir MakarimShirazi, Ayatollah Waheed Khorasani, Ayatollah

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Tabrizi and Ayatollah Harm Panahi. On the advice of AqaiHarm Panahi the Sayed returned home in 1977 to work forthe betterment of the people of the Karam Agency. He be-came very popular with the youth in the area because of hisgentle disposition. He always said that a good mentor is a goodfriend, guide and philosopher! This was the reason that thestudents fearlessly communicated their problems and concernsto him. They aired their thoughts on the shortcomings oftheMadrasa and the society in general to their mentor.The Sayed used to deliver his talks to the students sitting onthe floor. He always propagated the concept of equality. Oncehe was giving a talk to the students sitting on a chair. The stu-dents too were on chairs listening with interest to his talkwhen a few more students entered the class and squatteddown because there were no vacant chairs available. Seeingthis, Sayed Arif desacended from his chair to the ground andcontinued his talk. The students sitting on the chairs too emu-lated their mentor and they squatted down to listen to the talk!

The whole day Sayed Arif spent giving talks to differentgroups of students. In the evenings he used to visit the stu-dents at their hostels to inquire about their welfare. One even-ing he went to a student’s room and found him groaning underthe effect of high fever. The student had no room-mate withhim at that time. The mentor sat near the student and pressedhis head to soothe him. When the other students entered theroom, they were much impressed to see the mentor nursing hissick student. The Sayed always treated his students kindly andwith affection. He used to distribute half of his meager emolu-ments to the needy students.

It was the wish of Sayed Arif to enhance the repute ofthe Madaris Diniya. He used to tell to his friends and theteachers to train the students in such a manner that they didn’tjust remain the Pesh Namaz (leaders of the Congrega-tions) but rose to important positions in the service of thecountry. He therefore elevated the standards of the MadrasaJafaria Para Chinar to a very high level. He used to say thatan Alim e Deen has to keep an eye on the circumstances inthe society and to reform the people. The blame for the ills inany society squarely rests on the Ulema there. Allama Sayed

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Arif Hussaini was becoming very popular with the people inthe Karm Agency area.although the Political Agent was verystrong and the Maliks were ruling with an iron fist. When hismovement gained strength, Sayed Arif Hussaini advised theyouth of the Alamdar Federation that in Karm Agency, andparticularly in Para Chinar, they should start social serviceactivities. He particularly insisted on the abolition of the habitof the use of intoxicants. He got a hospital established andprovided facilities for the rehabilitation of the youths who hadbecome compulsive users of intoxicants. He also devised a pro-gram to combat unemployment rampant among the youth inthe area. He constituted a local Bayt al Maal and raised dona-tions from the locals and also people residing in other coun-tries. People contributed wholeheartedly to the fund thatprovided succor to the widows and the orphans in the area. Itstarted giving scholarships to the deserving needy studentsand provided money for the marriages of poor girls. His closedisciples say that Sayed Arif Hussaini used to visit the homesof the needy in the dark nights to leave provisions and moneyat their door steps. He used to tell his disciples not to say aword about this activity to others. Once a disciple asked himwhy he didn’t introduce himself to the beneficiaries of his helpduring the nightly visits of distribution, the mentor said,“. Hazrat Ali (a.s) used to regularly visit the hut of a blindperson near Koofa to give him food and sweep the place.On 22ndRamadan when a person passed that way, he foundthe blind person wailing:’ O my benefactor! I am hungry sincethe last three days!’ What did he know that on the19th of Ra-madan his great benefactor was struck by the enemy’s swordand on 21st Ramadan he had departed from the world!” Afterrelating the incident Sayed Arif Hussaini’s eyes watered andhe said, “I feel contentment when I follow the foot-steps of myforbears!” His thoughts and activities attracted the people oftheKarm Agency and the tribals started flocking to him forthe solution of their problems. Once the Iranian ForeignMinister, Aqai Wilayati, visited Peshawar whenSayed ArifHussaini, along with thousands of people from Karm Agency,gave him a befitting reception. . At that time an important del-egation asked Aqai Wilayatito get Sayed Arif appointed asthe representative of Aqai

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Khomeini in Peshawar. When Aqai Wilayati mentioned thisto Sayed Arif Hussaini, he said that the conditions in KarmAgency were such that he couldn’t possibly move away fromthere. He said that whenever he had an opportunity he did vis-it Peshawar but it wasn’t possible for him to move there on apermanent basis.

Sayed Arif Hussaini made plans for the establishment of agood hospital and a public school in Para Chinar. Dr AbidHussain extended his full support to theSayed’s efforts andthe people of Para Chinar donated a good piece of land forthe construction of the school.

SOME ACHIEVEMENTS OF SAYED ARIF AL hUSSAINIOnce, two days prior to Idd al Adha, Sayed Arif Hus-

sain returned to Peshawar after a tour of some important city.He called Abbas, the cheauffer, and gave himRs 500 to go tothe bazaar and buy some materials for taking to his motherin Para Chinar. After giving the money to the person he re-tired to his room for rest. Abbassat for a while inthe Madrasa brooding that the master hadn’t given him hiswages for the past two months and even he hadn’t given himany money for the ensuingIdd. He sat brooding on the steps ofthe building that he had no money to buy anything for his chil-dren for the celebration of the Idd. He wondered from whomhe could get a loan to meet his urgent need. He then thoughtthat he would go to the secretary of the Madrasa to ask fora Rs 2,000 loan with a promise that he would give back themoney after he got his outstanding wages. The driver was im-mersed in his thoughts when he heard the foot-steps ofsomeone descending the staircase. He saw that Sayed ArifHussaini was coming down the stairs. He took out somemoney from his pocket and gave him and said that he shoulddo some shopping for the Iddfor his children!

Abbas also related that once Allama Arif Hussaini was inproceeding to Para Chinar to celebrate the Idd with his chil-dren. Those days it rained heavily and there were floods inthe Karm Agency. A big stream was flowing furiously a fewmiles from Para Chinar that had obstructed the flow of thetraffic. On both sides of the stream many vehicles were stran-ded. . Hundreds of persons were eagerly waiting to reach their

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destinations for the Idd. Observing this the driver, Abbas, toowas worried. At that moment Sayed Arif Hussain asked himto step into the stream and gauge its depth and flow. After theinspection Abbas said that it would be impossible to negotiatethe stream in the car. The Sayed thought for some time andtold Abbas to say Bismillah and continue the journey. Whenhe brought the car to the bank of the stream the people wait-ing there pleaded not to embark on the hazardous adventure.They said that the car would be washed away by the furiouswaves of the flood. After a while Abbas looked at his master indesperation. But Sayed Arif had his eyes closed and was recit-ing some verses. Abbas says that he felt that someone pickedup the car and put it on the other side of the stream!

MARTYRDOM—MY INHERITANCE.Allama Sayed Arif Hussain al Hussaini was martyred on

the morning of August 15, 1988 at the Madrasa Jameat alAarif al Islamia, Peshawar. Although he was elevated to theaugust status of martyrdom, the Community lost an en-lightened, pious and dedicated leader. After completing hismorning prayers, the Sayed went to the upper floor of thebuilding when the Ibn e Muljim of the time stealthily crept upto shed his innocent blood. The man was crouching on thestaircase when theSayed was climbing down. The fiend firedwith his pistol on the chest of his victim and fled thesacene. Allama Sayed Javed, who was performing the ablu-tion on the higher floor, heard the thud of someone fallingdown. He hurried down to find the Sayed in a stateof Tashhahud. He thought that the Sayed had fallen down thestaircase. He took hold of him and tried to raise him up. But tohis dismay he noticed blood gushing out fromthe Sayed’s chest. He started beating his head and shoutedthat the Community had been orphaned. One of the students ofthe Madrasa, Sayed Tauseef Haider, had seen the culpritrunning away from the scene of the crime. The other personstoo rushed out of their rooms and found their mentor fatally in-jured. They couldn’t control their emotions and started beatingtheir heads and chests. The Sayed looked at the walls of thebuilding with feeling of adieus and looked ready for departure

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from the transient world. He was rushed to the Lady ReadingHospital where he breathed his last!

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Chapter 10Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin al-Tabataba'i al-Hakim - (1889–1970)With the success of the Bolsheviks in Russia, the Red move-ment started to gain extensive support around the world. Par-ticularly in the Middle East, many Muslims saw communism asthe solution to all their socio-economic woes, and communistparties around the Arab world began to attract massive num-bers of disenfranchised youth, especially in Iraq. And yet, thedisastrous results of communism were already foreseen by aseemingly out-of-touch old cleric living and teaching in theShia seminary of Najaf, whose religious edict declaring com-munism equivalent to Shirk and Kufr (polytheism and disbelief)marked the end of communism in Iraq.

He was born Sayyid Mohsin ibn Sayyid Mahdi Tabatabai al-Hakim to a scholarly family in the holy city of Najaf in 1306AH. He received his religious education in Najaf, studying un-der such great giants of the seminary as Akhund al-Khurasani,Sayyid Abul Hasan al-Isfehani, Sayyid Kadhim Tabatabai Yazdi,and Shaikh Muhammad Hussain Naini. Upon the demise of histeachers, Sayyid Mohsin al-Hakim was recognized as the defacto leader of the Najaf seminary, and upon AyatollahBurujardi's death in 1380 AH, he was accepted as thesole Marja Taqleed (Religious Authority) by Shias around theworld.

Under Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim, the seminary grew extens-ively. He embarked on a program to collect various books andmanuscripts that had hitherto been ignored or disorganized,culminating in his famous library containing over 30,000 booksand nearly 5,000 various manuscripts. It is said that in times offinancial shortage, Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim used to offer theprayers and fasts for diseased individuals and would use that

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money to buy these books and manuscripts from their owners.He also established several new religious schools, includingthe Madressa Sharif al-Ulema in Karbala, Madressas SayyidYazdi, Dar al-Hikma, and Ilmiya in Najaf, Madressa Ilmiya inHilla, as well as a religious school especially for students ofAfghan and Central Asian origin. His list of students includessuch great names as Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei, Sayyid Ruhol-lah Musawi Khomeini, Martyr Sayyid Qadhi Tabatabai, MartyrSayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr, Sayyid Ali Hussaini Sistani,Sayyid Sa'eed Tabatabai Hakim (his grandson), Shaikh HussainWaheed Khurasani, and Shaikh Nasir Makarem Shirazi.

During his time, the seminary increased its international out-reach efforts, and Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim used theseminary's financial resources to establish mosques, Hussainiy-as, and Islamic cultural centers all over Iraq, as well as inplaces like Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. His codeof practice and hundreds of Islamic books was published in loc-al languages such as Urdu and Pashto and made easily access-ible to the masses in these places for the first time.

As the socialist Ba'ath Party went about creating an autocrat-ic state in Iraq, Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim's own sons SayyidMuhammad Mahdi al-Hakim and Sayyid Baqir al-Hakim estab-lished the Islamic Da'wa Party along with Martyr SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Sayyid Murtadha al-Askari. TheParty sought to counter the Ba'ath regime's autocratic and un-Islamic practices, and as a result, many of its members werebrutally killed.

Like Ayatollah Burujardi, Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim (andlater, Ayatollah Abul Qasim al-Khoei) is accused of maintaininga "quietist" attitude during this period. However, one must re-member that his religious leadership occurred during somevery turbulent times. Revolutions do not take place overnight,and Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim recognized that in order to ef-fectively counter the Ba'ath Party in the long run, there mustbe a dedicated group of scholars and jurists to lead the masses.Therefore, he let Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr be in chargeof the resistance movement, whereas he himself concentratingon producing the next great crop of Shia academia. Indeed,many of his students and at least six of his sons were brutallypersecuted and subsequently killed by the Ba'ath regime.

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Today, the influential Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) isled by Sayyid Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim's sons.

In 1390 AH, Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim passed away. He waslaid to rest inside his library in Najaf, and the mantle of leader-ship in the Najaf seminary was passed on to Sayyid Abul Qasimal-Khoei.

wikipedaGrand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin al-Tabataba'i al-Hakim

(1889–1970) (Arabic: ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????????? ??????‎)was born into a family, the Tabatabai, renowned for its scholar-ship. He was always in the forefront to defend Islam andMuslims. He became the sole Marja in 1961 after the death ofGrand Ayatollah Sayyid Husayn Borujerdi. His son Abdul Azizal-Hakim was the leader of SIIC the largest political party inIraq.

Activities in Hawza Ilmiyya, NajafThe hawza of Najaf grew immensely under his Marjaiyya. His

historic opinion piece (although, not an official fatwa), brand-ing communism as kufr and atheism proved the beginning ofthe end of communism in Iraq.

Muhsin Al-Hakim led the hawza, also known as themarja'iyya, the group of Shi'i scholars based in Najaf respons-ible for determining Shi'i religious doctrine, during a time ofconsiderable tumult in Iraq. Communism had enveloped thesouth of Iraq, Iraqi nationalist parties (and most prominentlythe pan-Arabist Ba'ath party) were largely in control of Iraq'spolitical institutions, particularly during the last decade ofHakim's life. It is important to note, however, that the hawza isnot a papacy and that therefore "leading" it does not mean thatHakim alone could pronounce Shi'i doctrine, all members ofthe hawza of sufficient standing (namely, those given the titleabsolute interpreter, or mujtahid mutlaq) developed their ownrules based on accepted techniques and practices. Hakim wassimply the most respected of the relatively small group ofscholars.

Political Stances

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Hakim's general stance with respect to all of these move-ments, in contradistinction to those of his children, who laterbecame extraordinarily active politically, was oneof quietism. In fact, Shi'i quietism, later exemplified by hawzaleaders such as Grand Ayatollah Abul Qasim al-Khoei and cur-rent Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, probably reached its apo-theosis in Iraq during Hakim's tenure. Thus, while Hakim didattempt to limit Communist influence among the Shi'a by ban-ning their participation in the party, for the most part he pre-ferred to remain out of politics, at least tacitly agreeing withBaghdad's rulers to keep the hawza's scholars politically neut-ral in exchange for relative immunity for those scholars. Impli-cit in this stance was a certain alienation and disaffection withthe notion of the modern nation state and the exercise of polit-ical authority. The state, and politics, were assumed to be in-herently sullying, and something which good Shi'is shouldavoid. Quietism is thus not secularism, where the state and re-ligion are presumed to have important, but separate, spheresof influence, but rather a type of devotion to the religious au-thorities and suspicion of political ones. Politics and religionwould then be united once again after the return of the hiddenMahdi, now disappeared for over a millennium. The Mahdi is alineal descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who is the Imamin Shi'i theology, an infallible individual in whom political andreligious authority for the Muslim community is vested andwho will ultimately bring justice to the world with his re-appearance under Shi'i eschatological theory.

Other Point of ViewThere were some within the hawza who were less enamored

of Hakim's stance respecting political authority. MuhammadBaqir al-Sadr, for example, a more junior member of the hawzaduring Hakim's time, sought a series of reforms to the hawzato make it more politically palatable and appealing to the Shi'imasses who were proving susceptible to Communism. Sadrtherefore tried to unify and centralize the hawza, placing morepower in the hands of the senior scholar, and sought to makeits materials more accessible and understandable to the laycommunity, filled as it was with arcane and obscure language,often on minutiae of no interest to the broader Shi'i masses. He

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helped found the Da'wa party as well, an Islamist party thatSadr imagined would give the hawza political influence inBaghdad.

While Hakim had a great deal of respect for the intelligenceand enthusiasm of Sadr, he viewed his political activism ascontrary to its principles and interests. Hakim therefore askedSadr to dissociate his relationship with Da'wa and generallydiscouraged his efforts to reform large parts of the hawza cur-riculum, though some important reforms were undertaken.Hakim therefore maintained the quietist balance through verydifficult times, and ultimately projected a stance on politicsand religion in the Shi'i community that remains influentialtoday.

With Hakim's death, Sadr's activism increased and ultimatelyhis ideas proved too threatening to the Saddam and his govern-ment. In 1980, he and his sister were killed by SaddamHussein's interrogators, as were any members of the hawzawho were inclined to take Sadr's politically active position.With the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime, however, Shi'ismhas reached a considerable period of ferment, with the reli-gious community attempting to achieve some form of balancebetween the political activism announced by Sadr and thequietist stance embodied most clearly in the form of Muhsimal-Hakim.

He was buried in the great and modern library he hadestablished.

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Chapter 11Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari -(1920-1979)Ayatullāh Murťadhā Muťahharī, one of the principle architectsof the new Islāmic consciousness in Iran, was born on Febru-ary 2nd, 1920, in Farīmān, then a village and now a townshipabout sixty kilometres from Mashhad, the great centre ofShī`a pilgrimage and learning in Eastern Iran.[18]

His father was Muhammad Ĥusaīn Muťahharī, a renownscholar who studied in Najaf and spent several years inEgypt and the Hijāz before returning to Farīmān. The elderMuťahharī was of a different caste of mind then his son, whoin any event came to outshine him. The father was devoted tothe works of the celebrated traditionalist, Mullāh MuhammadBāqir Majlisī; whereas the son’s great hero among the Shī`ascholars of the past was the theosophist Mullā Sadrā.

Nonetheless, Āyatullāh Muťahharī always retained great re-spect and affection for his father, who was also his first teach-er, and he dedicated to him one of his most popular books,Dastān-e-Rastān (“The Epic of the Righteous”), first publishedin 1960, and which was later chosen as book of the year by theIranian National Commission for UNESCO in 1965.

At the exceptionally early age of twelve, Muťahharī beganhis formal religious studies at the teaching institution in Mash-had, which was then in a state of decline, partly because of in-ternal reasons and partly because of the repressive measuresdirected by Ridhā Khān, the first Pahlavī autocrat, against allIslāmic institutions. But in Mashhad, Muťahharī discoveredhis great love for philosophy, theology, and mysticism, a lovethat remained with him throughout his life and came to shapehis entire outlook on religion:

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“I can remember that when I began my studies in Mashhadand was still engaged in learning elementary Arabic, the philo-sophers, mystics, and theologians impressed me far more thanother scholars and scientists, such as inventors and explorers.Naturally I was not yet acquainted with their ideas, but I re-garded them as heroes on the stage of thought.”[19]

Accordingly, the figure in Mashhad who aroused thegreatest devotion in Muťahharī was Mīrzā Mahdī ShahīdīRazavī, a teacher of philosophy. But Razavī died in 1936, be-fore Muťahharī was old enough to participate in his classes,and partly because of this reason he left Mashhad the follow-ing year to join the growing number of students congregatingin the teaching institution in Qum.

Thanks to the skillful stewardship of Shaykh `Abdul KarīmHā’irī, Qum was on its way to becoming the spiritual and intel-lectual capital of Islāmic Iran, and Muťahharī was able to be-nefit there from the instruction of a wide range of scholars.He studied Fiqh and Uŝūl - the core subjects of the traditionalcurriculum - with Āyatullāh Ĥujjat Kuhkamarī, Āyatullāh Sayy-id Muhammad Dāmād, Āyatullāh Sayyid Muhammad RidhāGulpāyagānī, and Ĥajj Sayyid Ŝadr al-Dīn as-Ŝadr. But moreimportant than all these was Āyatullāh Burujerdī, the suc-cessor of Ĥā’irī as director of the teaching establishment inQum. Muťahharī attended his lectures from his arrival in Qumin 1944 until his departure for Tehran in 1952, and he nour-ished a deep respect for him.

Fervent devotion and close affinity characterized Muťah-harī’s relationship with his prime mentor in Qum, ĀyatullāhRūhullāh Khumaynī. When Muťahharī arrived in Qum,Āyatullāh Khumaynī was a young lecturer, but he was alreadymarked out from his contemporaries by the profoundness andcomprehensiveness of his Islāmic vision and his ability to con-vey it to others. These qualities were manifested in the celeb-rated lectures on ethics that he began giving in Qum in theearly 1930s. The lectures attracted a wide audience from out-side as well as inside the religious teaching institution and hada profound impact on all those who attended them. Muťahharīmade his first acquaintance with Āyatullah Khumaynī at theselectures:

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“When I migrated to Qum, I found the object of my desire ina personality who possessed all the attributes of Mīrzā Mahdī(Shahīdī Razavī) in addition to others that were peculiarly hisown. I realized that the thirst of my spirit would be quenchedat the pure spring of that personality. Although I had still notcompleted the preliminary stages of my studies and was notyet qualified to embark on the study of the rational sciences(ma`qulāt), the lectures on ethics given by that beloved per-sonality every Thursday and Friday were not restricted to eth-ics in the dry, academic sense but dealt with gnosis and spir-itual wayfaring, and thus, they intoxicated me. I can saywithout exaggeration that those lectures aroused in me suchecstasy that their effect remained with me until the followingMonday or Tuesday. An important part of my intellectual andspiritual personality took shape under the influence of thoselectures and the other classes I took over a period of twelveyears with that spiritual master (ustād-i ilahī) [meaningĀyatullāh Khumaynī].”[20]

In about 1946, Āyatullāh Khumaynī began lecturing to asmall group of students that included both Muťahharī and hisroommate at the Fayziya Madressah, Āyatullāh Muntazarī, ontwo key philosophical texts, the Asfar al-Arba`a of MullāŜadra and the Sharh-e-Manzuma of Mullā Hādī Sabzwārī.Muťahharī’s participation in this group, which continued tomeet until about 1951, enabled him to establish more intimatelinks with his teacher.

Also in 1946, at the urging of Muťahharī and Muntazarī, theĀyatullāh Khumaynī taught his first formal course on Fiqh andUŝūl, taking the chapter on rational proofs from the secondvolume of Akhund Khurāsānī’s Kifāyatal Uŝūl as his teachingtext. Muťahharī followed his course assiduously, while stillpursuing his studies of Fiqh with Āyatullāh Burūjerdī.

In the first two post-war decades, Āyatullāh Khumaynītrained numerous students in Qum who became leaders of theIslāmic Revolution and the Islāmic Republic, such that throughthem (as well as directly), the imprint of his personality wasvisible on all the key developments of the past decade. Butnone among his students bore to Āyatullāh Khumaynī the samerelationship of affinity as Muťahharī, an affinity to which theĀyatullāh Khumaynī himself has borne witness to. The pupil

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and master shared a profound attachment to all aspects of tra-ditional scholarship, without in any way being its captive; acomprehensive vision of Islām as a total system of life and be-lief, with particular importance ascribed to its philosophicaland mystical aspects; an absolute loyalty to the religious insti-tution, tempered by an awareness of the necessity of reform; adesire for comprehensive social and political change, accom-panied by a great sense of strategy and timing; and an abilityto reach out beyond the circle of the traditionally religious,and gain the attention and loyalty of the secularly educated.

Among the other teachers whose influence Muťahharī wasexposed in Qum, was the great exegete of the Qur’ān andphilosopher, Āyatullāh Sayyid Muhammad Ĥusain Ťabā’ťabā’ī.Muťahharī participated in both Ťabāťabā’ī’s classes on the Shi-fā` of Abū `Alī Sīnā from 1950 to 1953, and the Thursday even-ing meetings that took place under his direction. The subjectof these meetings was materialist philosophy, a remarkablechoice for a group of traditional scholars. Muťahharī himselfhad first conceived a critical interest in materialist philosophy,especially Marxism, soon after embarking on the formal studyof the rational sciences.

According to his own recollections, in about 1946 he beganto study the Persian translations of Marxist literature pub-lished by the Tudeh party, the major Marxist organization inIran and at that time an important force in the political scene.In addition, he read the writings of Taqī Arānī, the main theor-etician of the Tudeh party, as well as Marxist publications in`Arabic emanating from Egypt. At first he had some difficultyunderstanding these texts because he was not acquainted withmodern philosophical terminology, but with continued exertion(which included the drawing up of a synopsis of GeorgesPulitzer’s Elementary Principles of Philosophy), he came tomaster the whole subject of materialist philosophy. This mas-tery made him an important contributor to Ťabā’ťabāī’s circleand later, after his move to Tehran, an effective combatant inthe ideological war against Marxism and Marxist-influencedinterpretations of Islām.

Numerous refutations of Marxism have been essayed in theIslāmic world, both in Iran and elsewhere, but almost all ofthem fail to go beyond the obvious incompatibilities of

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Marxism with religious belief and the political failures and in-consistencies of Marxist political parties. Muťahharī, by con-trast, went to the philosophical roots of the matter and demon-strated with rigorous logic the contradictory and arbitrarilyhypothetic nature of key principles of Marxism. His polemicalwritings are characterized more by intellectual than rhetoricalor emotional force.

However, for Muťahharī, philosophy was far more than apolemical tool or intellectual discipline; it was a particularstyle of religiosity, a way of understanding and formulatingIslām. Muťahharī belongs, in fact, to the tradition of Shī`aphilosophical concern that goes back at least as far as Nasīrad-Dīn Ťuŝī, one of Muťahharī’s personal heroes. To say thatMuťahharī’s view of Islām was philosophical is not to implythat he lacked spirituality or was determined to subordinaterevealed dogma to philosophical interpretation and to imposephilosophical terminology on all domains of religious concern;rather it means that he viewed the attainment of knowledgeand understanding as the prime goal and benefit of religionand for that reason assigned to philosophy a certain primacyamong the disciplines cultivated in the religious institution. Inthis he was at variance with those numerous scholars forwhom Fiqh was the be-all and end-all of the curriculum, withmodernists for whom philosophy represented a Hellenistic in-trusion into the world of Islām, and with all those whom re-volutionary ardour had made impatient with careful philosoph-ical thought.[21]

The particular school of philosophy to which Muťahharī ad-hered was that of Mullā Ŝadra, the “sublime philosophy”(hikmat-i muta`āliya) that seeks to combine the methods ofspiritual insight with those of philosophical deduction. Muťah-harī was a man of tranquil and serene disposition, both in hisgeneral comportment and in his writings. Even when engagedin polemics, he was invariably courteous and usually refrainedfrom emotive and ironical wording. But such was his devotionto Mullā Ŝadrā that he would passionately defend him evenagainst slight or incidental criticism, and he chose for his firstgrandchild - as well as for the publishing house in Qum thatput out his books - the name Ŝadrā.

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Insofar as Ŝadrā’s school of philosophy attempts to mergethe methods of inward illumination and intellectual reflection,it is not surprising that it has been subject to varying inter-pretations on the part of those more inclined to one methodthan the other. To judge from his writings, Muťahharī be-longed to those for whom the intellectual dimension of Ŝadrā’sschool was predominant; there is little of the mystical ormarkedly spiritual tone found in other exponents of Ŝadrā’sthought, perhaps because Muťahharī viewed his own inwardexperiences as irrelevant to the task of instruction in which hewas engaged or even as an intimate secret he should conceal.More likely, however, this predilection for the strictly philo-sophical dimension of the “sublime philosophy” was an expres-sion of Muťahharī’s own temperament and genius. In this re-spect, he differed profoundly from his great mentor, ĀyatullāhKhumaynī, many of whose political pronouncements continueto be suffused with the language and concerns of mysticismand spirituality.

In 1952, Muťahharī left Qum for Tehran, where he marriedthe daughter of Āyatullāh Rūhānī and began teaching philo-sophy at the Madressah Marwi, one of the principal institu-tions of religious learning in the capital. This was not the be-ginning of his teaching career, for already in Qum he had be-gun to teach certain subjects - logic, philosophy, theology, andFiqh - while still a student himself. But Muťahharī seems tohave become progressively impatient with the somewhat re-stricted atmosphere of Qum, with the factionalism prevailingamong some of the students and their teachers, and with theirremoteness from the concerns of society. His own future pro-spects in Qum were also uncertain.

In Tehran, Muťahharī found a broader and more satisfyingfield of religious, educational, and ultimately political activity.In 1954, he was invited to teach philosophy at the Faculty ofTheology and Islāmic Sciences of Tehran University, where hetaught for twenty-two years. First the regularization of his ap-pointment and then his promotion to professor was delayed bythe jealousy of mediocre colleagues and by political considera-tions (for Muťahharī’s closeness to Āyatullāh Khumaynī waswell known).

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But the presence of a figure such as Muťahharī in the secu-lar university was significant and effective. Many men of Mad-ressah background had come to teach in the universities, andthey were often of great erudition. However, almost withoutexception they had discarded an Islāmic worldview, togetherwith their turbans and cloaks. Muťahharī, by contrast, cameto the university as an articulate and convinced exponent ofIslāmic science and wisdom, almost as an envoy of the reli-gious institution to the secularly educated. Numerous peopleresponded to him, as the pedagogical powers he had first dis-played in Qum now fully unfolded.

In addition to building his reputation as a popular and effect-ive university lecturer, Muťahharī participated in the activitiesof the numerous professional Islāmic associations (anjumanhā)that had come into being under the supervision of MahdīBāzārgān and Āyatullāh Taleqānī, lecturing to their doctors,engineers, teachers and helping to coordinate their work. Anumber of Muťahharī’s books in fact consist of the revisedtranscripts of series of lectures delivered to the Islāmicassociations.

Muťahharī’s wishes for a wider diffusion of religious know-ledge in society and a more effective engagement of religiousscholars in social affairs led him in 1960 to assume the leader-ship of a group of Tehran `Ulamā known as the Anjuman-e-Mahāna-yi Dīnī (“The Monthly Religious Society”). The mem-bers of this group, which included the late Āyatullāh Beheshtī,a fellow-student of Muťahharī in Qum, organized monthly pub-lic lectures designed simultaneously to demonstrate the relev-ance of Islām to contemporary concerns, and to stimulate re-formist thinking among the `Ulamā. The lectures were printedunder the title of Guftār-e-Māh (“Discourse of the Month”) andproved very popular, but the government banned them inMarch 1963 when Āyatullāh Khumaynī began his public de-nunciation of the Pahlavī regime.

A far more important venture in 1965 of the same kind wasthe foundation of the Ĥusayniya-e-Irshād, an institution innorth Tehran, designed to gain the allegiance of the secularlyeducated young to Islām. Muťahharī was among the membersof the directing board; he also lectured at the Ĥusayniya-e-Ir-shād and edited and contributed to several of its publications.

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The institution was able to draw huge crowds to its functions,but this success - which without doubt exceeded the hopes ofthe founders, was overshadowed by a number of internal prob-lems. One such problem was the political context of the insti-tution’s activities, which gave rise to differing opinions on theopportuneness of going beyond reformist lecturing to politicalconfrontation.

The spoken word plays in general a more effective and im-mediate role in promoting revolutionary change than the writ-ten word, and it would be possible to compose an anthology ofkey sermons, addresses, and lectures that have carried theIslāmic Revolution of Iran forward. But the clarification of theideological content of the revolution and its demarcation fromopposing or competing schools of thought have necessarily de-pended on the written word, on the composition of works thatexpound Islāmic doctrine in systematic form, with particularattention to contemporary problems and concerns. In thisarea, Muťahharī’s contribution was unique in its volume andscope. Muťahharī wrote assiduously and continuously, fromhis student days in Qum up to 1979 the year of his martyr-dom. Much of his output was marked by the same philosophic-al tone and emphasis already noted, and he probably regardedas his most important work Uŝūl-e-Falsafa wa Ravish-e-Ri’āl-ism (“The Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Real-ism”), the record of Ťabāťabāī’s discourses to the Thursdayevening circle in Qum, supplemented with Muťahharī’s com-ments. But he did not choose the topics of his books in accord-ance with personal interest or predilection, but with his per-ception of need; wherever a book was lacking on some vitaltopic of contemporary Islāmic interest, Muťahharī sought tosupply it.

Single handily, he set about constructing the main elementsof a contemporary Islāmic library. Books such as `Adl-e-Ilāhī(“Divine Justice”), Nizām-e-Ĥuquq-e-Zan dar Islām (“The Sys-tem of Women’s Rights in Islām”), Mas’ala-yi Ĥijāb (“TheQuestion of the Veil”), Ashnā’i ba `Ulūm-e-Islāmī (“An Intro-duction to the Islāmic Sciences”), and Muqaddima barJahānbīnī-yi Islāmi (“An Introduction to the Worldview ofIslām”) were all intended to fill a need, to contribute to an

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accurate and systematic understanding of Islām and the prob-lems in the Islāmic society.

These books may well come to be regarded as Muťahharī’smost lasting and important contribution to the rebirth ofIslāmic Iran, but his activity also had a political dimension thatadmittedly subordinate, should not be overlooked. While astudent and fledgling teacher in Qum, he had sought to instillpolitical consciousness in his contemporaries and was particu-larly close to those among them who were members of theFida’iyan-i Islām, the Militant Organization founded in 1945 byNawwab Safawī.

The Qum headquarters of the Fida’iyan was the Madrasa-yiFayziya, where Muťahharī himself resided, and he sought invain to prevent them from being removed from the Madressahby Āyatullāh Burūjerdī, who was resolutely set against allpolitical confrontation with the Shah’s regime.

During the struggle for the nationalization of the Iranian OilIndustry, Muťahharī sympathized with the efforts of ĀyatullāhKāshānī and Dr. Muhammad Musaddiq, although he criticizedthe latter for his adherence to secular nationalism. After hismove to Tehran, Muťahharī collaborated with the FreedomMovement of Bāzārgān and Taleqānī, but never became one ofthe leading figures in the group.

His first serious confrontation with the Shah’s regime cameduring the uprising of Khurdad 15th, 1342/June 6th, 1963,when he showed himself to be politically, as well as intellectu-ally, a follower of Āyatullāh Khumaynī by distributing his de-clarations and urging support for him in the sermons hegave.[22]

He was accordingly arrested and held for forty-three days.After his release, he participated actively in the various organ-izations that came into being to maintain the momentum thathad been created by the uprising, most importantly the Associ-ation of Militant Religious Scholars (Jami`a yi Ruhāniyāt-e-Mubāriz). In November 1964, Āyatullāh Khumaynī entered onhis fourteen years of exile, spent first in Turkey and then inNajaf, and throughout this period Muťahharī remained intouch with Āyatullāh Khumaynī, both directly - by visits to Na-jaf - and indirectly.

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When the Islāmic Revolution approached its triumphant cli-max in the winter of 1978 and Āyatullāh Khumaynī left Na-jaf for Paris, Muťahharī was among those who travelled to Par-is to meet and consult with him. His closeness to ĀyatullāhKhumaynī was confirmed by his appointment to the Council ofthe Islāmic Revolution, the existence of which Āyatullāh Khu-maynī announced on January 12th, 1979.

Muťahharī’s services to the Islāmic Revolution were brutallycurtailed by his assassination on May 1st, 1979. The murderwas carried out by a group known as Furqān, which claimed tobe the protagonists of a “progressive Islām,” one freed fromthe allegedly distorting influence of the religious scholars. Al-though Muťahharī appears to have been chairman of the Coun-cil of the Islāmic Revolution at the time of his assassination, itwas as a thinker and a writer that he was martyred.

In 1972, Muťahharī published a book entitled `Illal-i Girayishba Maddigarī (“Reasons for the Turn to Materialism”), animportant work analyzing the historical background of materi-alism in Europe and Iran. During the revolution, he wrote anintroduction to the eighth edition of this book, attacking dis-tortions of the thought of Ĥafiz and Hallaj that had becomefashionable in some segments of Irānian society and refutingcertain materialistic interpretations of the Qur’ān. The sourceof the interpretations was the Furqān group, which sought todeny fundamental Qur’ānic concepts such as the divine tran-scendence and the reality of the hereafter. As always in suchcases, Muťahharī’s tone was persuasive and solicitous, notangry or condemnatory, and he even invited a response fromFurqān and other interested parties to comment on what hehad written. Their only response was the gun.

The threat to assassinate all who opposed them was alreadycontained in the publications of Furqān, and after the publica-tion of the new edition of `Illal-e-Girayish ba Maddigarī,Muťahharī apparently had some premonition of his martyr-dom. According to the testimony of his son, Mujtabā, a kind ofdetachment from worldly concerns became visible in him; heaugmented his nightly prayers and readings of the Qur’ān, andhe once dreamed that he was in the presence of the Prophet(S), together with Āyatullāh Khumaynī .

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On Tuesday, May 1st, 1979 Muťahharī went to the house ofDr. Yadullāh Sahābī, in the company of other members of theCouncil of the Islāmic Revolution. At about 10:30 at night, heand another participant in the meeting, Engineer Katira`i, leftSahābī’s house. Walking by himself to an adjacent alley wherethe car that was to take him home was parked, Muťahharī sud-denly heard an unknown voice call out to him. He lookedaround to see where the voice was coming from, and as he did,a bullet struck him in the head, entering beneath the right ear-lobe and exiting above the left eyebrow. He died almost in-stantly, and although he was rushed to a nearby hospital,there was nothing that could be done but mourn for him. Thebody was left in the hospital the following day, and then onThursday, amid widespread mourning, it was taken for funeralprayers first to Tehran University and then to Qum for burial,next to the grave of Shaykh `Abdul Karīm Hā’irī .

Āyatullāh Khumaynī wept openly when Muťahharī was bur-ied in Qum, and he described him as his “dear son,” and as“the fruit of my life,” and as “a part of my flesh.” But in his eu-logy Āyatullāh Khumaynī also pointed out that with the murderof Muťahharī neither his personality was diminished, nor wasthe course of the revolution interrupted:

“Let the evil-wishers know that with the departure of Muťah-harī - his Islāmic personality, his philosophy and learning, havenot left us. Assassinations cannot destroy the Islāmic person-ality of the great men of Islām…Islām grows through sacrificeand martyrdom of its cherished ones. From the time of its rev-elation up to the present time, Islām has always been accom-panied by martyrdom and heroism.”[23]

The personage and legacy of Āyatullāh Muťahharī have cer-tainly remained unforgotten in the Islāmic Republic, to such adegree that his posthumous presence has been almost as im-pressive as the attainments of his life. The anniversary of hismartyrdom is regularly commemorated, and his portrait is ubi-quitous throughout Iran. Many of his unpublished writings arebeing printed for the first time, and the whole corpus of hiswork is now being distributed and studied on a massive scale.In the words of Āyatullāh Khamene’ī, President of the Repub-lic, the works of Muťahharī have come to constitute “the intel-lectual infrastructure of the Islāmic Republic.”

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Efforts are accordingly under way to promote a knowledgeof Muťahharī’s writings outside the Persian-speaking world aswell, and the Ministry of Islāmic Guidance has sponsoredtranslations of his works into languages as diverse as Spanishand Malay.

In a sense, however, it will be the most fitting memorial toMuťahharī if revolutionary Iran proves able to construct apolity, society, economy and culture that are authentically andintegrally Islāmic. For Muťahharī’s life was oriented to a goalthat transcended individual motivation, and his martyrdomwas the final expression of that effacement of self.

Notes:

[18]This sketch of the life and works of Āyatullāh Muťahharīis based chiefly on Muhammad Wa'izzāda Khurāsānī’s, “Sayrīdar Zindagi-yi `Ilmī wa Inqilābiīyi Ustad Shahīd MurtadhāMuťahharī,” in Yadnāma-yi Ustād Shahīd Murtadhā Muťahharī,ed. `Abdul Karīm Surūsh, Tehran, 1360 Sh./1981, pp.319-380, an article rich in information on many aspects of the

recent history of Islāmic Irān. Reference has also been madeto Mujtabā Muťahhari, “Zindagi-yi Pidaram,” in Harakat(journal of the students at the Tehran Faculty of Theology), no.1 (n.d.), pp. 5-16; M. Hoda, In Memory of Martyr Muťahharī,

a pamphlet published by the Ministry of Islāmic Guidance,Tehran, April, 1982; and Āyatullāh Muťahharī’s autobiograph-ical introduction to the eighth edition of `Ilal-i Girayish baMaddīgarī; Qum, 1357 Sh./1978, pp. 7ff.

[19] `Ilal-e-Girayish ba Maddīgarī, Page 9.[20] `Ilal-i Girayish ba Maddigari, Page 9.[21] The authoritative statement of this view was made by

Sayyid Qutb in his Khasā’is al-Tasawwur al-Islāmī waMuqawwimatuhu, Cairo, numerous editions, which was trans-lated into Persian and had some influence on views towardphilosophy.

[22] Muhahharī’s name comes ninth in a list of clerical de-tainees prepared by the military prosecutor’s office in June,1963. See facsimile of the list in Dihnavi, Qiyam-e-Khunin-i 15Khurdad 42 ba Rivāyat-e-Asnād, Tehran, 1360 Sh./1981, Page77.

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[23] Text of Āyatullāh Khumaynī’s eulogy in Yādnama-yiUstād-i Shahīd Murtadha Muhahharī, pp. 3-5

Some Mutahari,s books in english1. Understanding the Uniqueness of the Qur'an2. Glimpses of Nahj al-Balaghah3. Introduction to 'Irfan4. 'Ashura: Misrepresentations and Distortions5. History and Human Evolution : Part I , Part II6. The Role of Reason in Ijtihad7. The Role of Ijtihad in Legislation8. Introduction to 'Ilm al-Kalam9 .Western Nationalism and Islamic Nationhood10. The CausesResponsible for Materialist tendencies in the West :Part I , Part II , Part III , Part IV

Ayatollah Morteza Motahari, born 1920, received his ele-mentary education in theology from his father, Sheikh Mo-hammad Hossein in his home town, Fariman in Khorasanprovince. When he was twelve years of age joined the IslamicEducational Center at Mashhad and pursued his studies therefor five years. Then he proceeded to Qom, the great center ofIslamic education. He stayed there for fifteen years and com-pleted his education in Islamic Beliefs and Jurisprudence un-der the supervision of the renowned philosopher Allameh Mo-hammad Hossein Tabatabai, Ayatollah Khomeini and manyother distinguished scholars. Then he migrated to Tehran.

During the period of his education the Motahari felt that thecommunists wanted to change the sacred religion of Islam anddestroy its spirit by mixing their atheistic views with the Islam-ic philosophy and interpreting the verses of the Qur'an in amaterialistic manner. Communism was not the only thingwhich received his attention. He also wrote on exegesis of theQur'an, philosophy, ethics, sociology, history and many othersubjects. In all his writings the real object he had in view wasto give replies to the objections raised by others against Islam,to prove the shortcomings of other schools of thought and tomanifest the greatness of Islam. He believed that in order toprove the falsity of Marxism and other ideologies like it, it was

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necessary not only to comment on them in a scholarly mannerbut also to present the real image of Islam.

Ayatollah Motahari wrote assiduously and continuously fromhis student days right up to 1979, the year of his assassination.He was one of the most versatile Islamic scholars and prolificwriters of recent times, deeply rooted in traditional learningand enamoured of its exponents. He was a Islamic thinker whohad fully absorbed a rigorous philosophical training. Much ofhis work has been published in and outside Iran.

The activities of the Ayatollah Motahari were intolerable forthe followers of some other Islamic faction, Forqan, and they,therefore, decided to remove him from the scene. Eventuallythey succeeded on the 1st of May 1979. When the sad newswas conveyed to Ayatollah Khomeini he, in his condolencemessage, said: "I have been deprived of a dear son of mine. Iam lamenting upon the death of one who was the fruit of mylife."

Ayatollah Motahary was a popular figure in the religiouscircles of Iran. He served in the Tehran University as the Headof the Department of Theology and Islamic Learning's. At thetime of his assassination he was the president of the Constitu-tional Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a member ofthe Revolutionary Council.

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Chapter 12Allamah Sayyid Murtadha Askari -(1901-2007)

Passed away in Tehran on Monday 17th Sept 2007 -7th Mahe Mubarak Ramadhan 1428.

The Late Allamah Al-Askari was an illustrious scholarwho authored several books and was also one of thefounders of the Islamic Movement in Iraq. An eminentHistorian, traditionalist, and one of the Seminary’slearned masters who was expert in so many researchesand had compiled many books on Imamate, Wilaayat,Reasoning and Traditional Researches.

Allamah Askari was born in Samarrah on 18 Jumada al-Thaani in 1332 (1901). He began his primary school in Samar-rah (Iraq), and then he joined the seminary of that city. Whenhe was 28 years old, he migrated to the holy city of Qom andbegan his study in Usool and Fiqh, and benefited from the lec-tures of Ayatullah Mar`ashi Najafi and Ayatullah ShaykhMuhammad Husayn Shari`atmadari Sauooji. He also benefitedfrom the late Ayatullah Uzma Imam Khomayni, Ayatullah MirzaKhalil Kamra’I, Ayatullah Haj Shaykh Mahdi Shaheed (PayeenShahri) in the fields of theology and beliefs, tafseer, ethics, andpurification of the carnal soul.

Following his studies, Ayatullah Askari began to research inthe field of biography, history, and itinerary. The result ofthese studies, especially having studied the writings of Ayatul-lah Mirza Shirazi regarding the issue of tobacco, was thathe became acquainted with the beginnings of the culturalassault of the Western colonial forces against Islamicworld.

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Ayatullah Askari might be the first Islamic thinker whorecognized the reality of educational methods applied forthe education centers in the Eastern countries, by theEuropean counselors of that time. He made many signi-ficant researches in this field from which he got the reas-ons behind the Eastern countries’ backwardness. Hechallenged the methods of education of that era with hisstudies.

2Ayatullah Askari began his trips and journeys to many Islam-

ic countries, and met many eminent personalities like AhmadAmeen (the author of the book titled: Completion in Islam). In1363 A.H., both personalities decided to establish a specialschool in which the children were taught genuine teachings ofIslam.

One of the students of that school was Ayatullah MartyrSayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. When the project of Ayatul-lah Askari gave good results in its first stage, he decided to be-gin the second stage. For this, he needed the permission of es-tablishing a special place wherein Islamic sciences are taught.This step preceded the establishing of a university for teachingthe principles of religion.

He divided his researching program into many parts.These parts consisted of the earlier stages of creation,the formation of religious mission based on the maincore (i.e. the Islamic mission), and the Islamic historicaleras to the end of the Abbasid dynasty.

The result of these studies was that Ayatullah Askari was ableto achieve information and analysis which no one before himwas able to achieve in that form. This achievement was rep-resented by reaching a convincing proof regarding the unreal-ity of the traditions collected by Sayf Ibn Omar al-Tamimi andother personalities. His research presented to the world theforgery regarding:

(1) Abdullah Ibn Saba’, and(2) 150 (So called) CompanionsThis proof shocked the researchers and the public alike, and

made them check again the subjects they inherited through

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centuries, and therefore, many Schools of Thought which werebuilt by Tabari and many eminent historians were destroyed.Ayatullah Askari proved that these matters, which manythought were indisputable facts and events, had no proof oftheir being real.

The first book of Ayatullah Askari in this field, titled "Abdul-lah Ibn Saba’" and the second book "With Dr al-Wardi" werepublished in 1954.

Ayatullah Askari continued his significant activities in variousfields, especially in the social affairs, even after his returnto Iran. Beside that, he established many schools and clinics.

Ayatullah Sayyid Murtadha Askari passed away inTehran on Monday 17th Sept 2007 – 7th Mahe MubarakeRamadhan 1428. May Allah swt rest his soul in peace.

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Chapter 13Shaheed Beheshti - (1928-1981)http://www.dartabligh.org/biographies/ShaheedBeheshti.html

Remember those who demonstrated us the true path ofSayyadus Shohada .."YOU ARE A NATION(Ummah) FOR OURNATION"… . Imam Khoemini for Shaheed Beheshti

Shahid (the martyr) Sayyed Mohammad Hosseiny Beheshti wasborn in Aban 2nd, 1307 (October 24th, 1928) in a districtcalled Lomban in Isfahan ( Chaharsouq district).

He was born in a family whose members were familiar withIslamic values. His father was one of Isfahan's clergies andprayer-leader of Lomban mosque who went to the village oncea week in order to preach and solve the problems of peopleand establish the community prayers.He passed away in 1341 (1962). His maternal grand father thelate Haj Mir Mohammad Sadiq Modarres Khatunabadi, wasone of the leading authorities on divine law.When Shahid (Martyr) Beheshti was just one year old, hepassed away and Shahid Beheshti was deprived of his meeting,however; knowing about his grandfather's manner later on af-fected Shahid Beheshti's personality.

With four years of age he entered traditional elementaryschool. He was so genius that he learned how to recite Quranand how to read and write in a very short time.After a while, having passed the entrance exam, he entered theprimary school at the sixth grade but since he was not oldenough to take part in that grade he was registered in fourthgrade. Nevertheless he took part in the final exams and was

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granted th e second best student title. Wishing to complete hisstudied, he entered the high school.In 1321 (1942) he gave it up, since he was interested in thetheological matters he entered the theological center. Althoughhis home was in Isfahan for saving time, being independentwhile thinking and studying, since 1324(1945) he rented aroom at Sad r school of Isfahan and he lived there.During 1321 to 1325(1942- 1946) he could study the Arabic lit-erature, logic, Fiqh (Jurisprudence), divine law & fundamentalsand stole the attention of his professors to the extent thatwhen they met him as if he reminded his maternal grand fatherIn 1325 (1946) when he was 18 years old, he left for Qom tocontinue his studies and in 6month-time he studied the rest ofsubjects namely : Sath , Kefayeh and Makasib. In the sameyear, Allameh Tabatabee came to Qom and his classes and ses-sions attracte d the active students like Shahid Beheshti wholater on took part in his classes.In 1326 (1947) Dr. Beheshti with Shahid Motahari, and some ofhis friends prepared a schedule according to which they had togo to the most remote villages to preach Islamic values, bymeans of a little amount of expense which Ayatollah Boroujerdigave t o them to guide the villagers and inform each otherabout their ideas concerning planning for future activities.In 1327 (1948) he continued the normal high school educationand he could get his literal diploma in final exams of latecomers. Then he entered the college of Theology (at that timerational sciences)and in 1330(1951) he received his BA. During(1329-13 30)(1950-1951) he was in Tehran and at the end ofmentioned year he returned to Qom again and this time he offi-cially started his teaching at Hakim Nezami high school as anEnglish teacher. During (1329-1330)(1951-1956) he spent hislife carrying out res earches and philosophical matters .In Ordibehesht 1331 (May 1952) he married one of his relat-ives whose result was 4 children (2 sons and 2 daughters).In 1333 (1956-1959) he was a student of Ph.D. of theologicalphilosophy (and of course in 1353(1947) he defended his thesiscalled _the problems of Mabad ul Tabi_e in Quran_, under guid-ance of the Shahid Professor Mortza Motahari. During thistime he was coming and going to Tehran and Qom.

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In 1338 (1959) he founded an English class at _Din and DaneshSchool_ for theological students and in the same year alongwith the thought of the leading figures like Motahari, Tale-qani_etc, he held the monthly speech sessions in Tehran onwhich the programmed lectures were held with the large num-ber of the students and intellectuals as an audience.From 1339 (1960) the idea of organizing the theological centerand arranging the syllabus of it for 17 years was in his mindwhose result was foundation of _Haqqani_ and_ Montazeriyeh_schools. In 1341 (1962) he decided to establish the Islamic cen-ter of students and educators which was a measure for linkingbetween the educated people in the past and present methods.He was actively taking part in (1341-1342)(1962-1963) cam-paigns. And in collecting and composing the _statements _hewas a great help. From 1342 he formed a searching group forsurveying about the Islamic government and in the same yearSavak (the contro lling system for security at that time )madehim leave Qom.He came to Tehran and in programming on preparing the text-books was closely cooperating with Shahid (martyr) Bahonar,in the same year he was also cooperating with campaigninggroups and coalition bodies. Besides, he was participating in a4-member counc il in the name of _divine law-political council_with help of Shaid (martyr) Motahari, Mr. Anvari and Mr.Molaee.In 1343 (1963) with the proposal of Ayatollah Ha_eri andAyatollah Milani he left for Hamburg and he began to manageand direct the mosque and formation of religious groups of theyoung and revealing Shah_s (the last king ) crimes.At this time he traveled to Saudi Arabia ( in Haj. time ) Syria,Lebanon , Turkey to visit Imam Mousa Sadr and in 1348 hetraveled to Iraq to visit Imam Khomeini.In 1349 (1970) he returned to Iran and it was impossible forhim to return to Germany. He started to teach in session for in-terpreting Quran and examined the textbooks and this processcontinued till 1355(1976).In 1359 (1971) he formed 50 sessions of interpreting of Quranon Saturdays which was called _the School of Quran_ wherewas a place for gathering the active young people . In 1354(1975) due to the mentioned sessions and the relationships

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with the campai gning organizations inside and out side of Iranhe was arrested by Savak and after a time he was released.From 1355 (1976) and later he began to deal with formationaltasks and in (1356)(1977) he was determined to form the broadformations being active in secret activities and also overtonesfor forming a party .In the same year due to the disagreementsamon g the Islamic active groups in abroad (which there havebeen some conflicts) he traveled there and even to the UnitedStates and he paved the ground for establishing new relation-ships among the Islamic groups.In 1357 (1978) he was arrested for a couple of days and he wasfreed. After which he went to Imam Khomeini in Paris. Afterhis return he played an effective role regarding determiningthe policy of the Islamic revolution.From Azar 1357 (December 1978) according to Imam's com-mand he formed the revolution's council and he was dealingwith that till the victory of the revolution.After the revolution as an intellectual person in the revolution'scouncil he wanted to organize and arrange the affairs. Regard-ing this mentioned fact he founded the Islamic Republic Party.He took part in the election of Experts Assembly, and as a vicepresident of Majlis he dealt with managing the affairs, prepar-ing and forming the Constitution. After resigning of the interimgovernment in 1358 (1979) he was doing his duty as a ministerof justice. Then through the command of Imam he was chosenand appointed as the chairman of Supreme Court.He was busy with his duties till the evening of Tir, 7, 1360(June 28,1981) after Namaz Maqrib (evening prayer) and Esha(night prayer) while giving lecture, he was martyred due to theexplosion of a bomb planted by the members of MKO terroristgroup, known as Monafeqin with 72 people from his colleaguesand through the tears and sighs and sorrows of millions of Ira-nian people he was buried in Behesht-e Zahra Tomb.May his soul rest in peace.

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Chapter 14Allama Sayed Safdar Hussain Najafi - (1933AD)

BIRTH & FAMILY BACKGROUNDAllama Sayed Safdar Hussain Najafi was born in 1933

AD at Alipur in Muzaffergadh District. The area is famousfor its fertility and lush green environs. He is from a wellknown Naqvi Sayed family. He descended from Sayed jalal alDin Surqposh Bukhari who was from a branch of the scionsof Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.). Safdar Hussain’s fatherwas Sayed Ghulam Sarvar Naqvi who was a person of greatpiety and nobility.

At the time of his birth, his parents chose to name him Saf-dar Hussain. It is a pleasant coincidence that the very sameday his uncle, Ustad al Ulema Sayed Mohammed YarNaqvi, was declared passed in his matriculation examination.Those days it was deemed a very important and high qualifica-tion! The family therefore reveled in the two happy events!Very soon Ustad al Ulema proceeded to Najaf e Ashraf andreturned from there in 1940. Sayed Safdar Hussain was sev-en years of age at that time and was ready to commence hisstudies.

INITIAL EDUCATIONHis father’s wish was to groom him to become an erudite

scholar in Islamic Shariah. Therefore he was totally commit-ted to the tutelage of Ustad al Ulema. At that time

the Ustad was teaching at the Madrasa of Ustad Sayed Mo-hammed Baqir Naqavi located at the village Chak 38. Thisis the same place where resides the well-known Zakir (ser-monizer), Sayed Khadim Hussain Shah. Sayed Safdar

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Hussain spent about 6 months at the Madrasa and then pro-ceeded with his mentor to Multan to pursue his studies

at Madrasa Bab al Ilm there. After spending 2 months theymoved to Madrasa Thut Sial in the environs

of Muzaffargadh. There too he didn’t stay for morethan 6 months. In 1941 the uncle and nephew movedto Jalalpur langiana where he pursued his studies

for 4 years. He was at theMadrasa in Sitpur, MuzzafargadhDistrict, for six months. In 1946 he went once again

to Madrasa Bab al Ilm, Multan, and studied under MaulanaSayed Zain al Abedin and Maulana Sheik Mohammed

Yar. Till that time he had completed the study of Mubadiyat.

Sayed Safdar Hussain has recounted an incident that tookplace during his second stint at Multan. The urge for acquir-ing knowledge took him to a Sunni Madrasawhere a wellknown scholar used to give lessons. When Sayed Saf-dar entered the class a lesson on the events of Karbala was inprogress. The teacher (who took pride in calling himself aSayed!) said that it was a battle between two princes of whomone was victorious and the other got vanquished! After thatday, Sayed Safdar Hussain didn’t ever enter the portals ofthat school where the accursed Yazid was equated with ImamHussain (a.s)! In 1947 Sayed Safdar went to MadrasaSadiqya Khanpur, District Rahimyar Khan and studied un-der Maulana Hussain Baksh who is known for his comment-ary of the Holy Quran. In 1948 he proceededto Khangadh and studied Shara Jami Qutbi and Shara BabHadi Ashr under Maulana Ahmed Hussain Qibla. In 1949Maulana Hussain Bakshwent to his ancestral village andstarted giving lessons there. Safdar Hussain too went to thevillage Jada and completed the study of Dars e Nizami underhim.

DURING HIS STUDENT DAYSTwo notable events took place during his student days. At

one point he felt very home-sick and returned to the ancestralvillage saying that he wasn’t able to pursue the studies any fur-ther. He told his parents that he desired to do farming in thevillage. His father very firmly persuaded him to return back to

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his studies. This young truant turned out to be an eminent reli-gious scholar in his later years!

The other event is that at one point he felt that there wasnothing for him in his ancestral country and he must go to Na-jaf e Ashraf and pursue his studies in the precincts ofthe Mausoleum of Hazrat Amir al Momineen (a.s). He hadneither money nor the means for travel. He made his plan withanother young lad. They started walking on the railway tracktowards Quetta thinking that they would walk to Iran andthen to Iraq. They walked about 125 miles andreached Checha Railway Station. There a good Samaritantook pity on them and arranged for their return home! The per-son told them that they must wait patiently when Maulawouldhimself call them to Najaf e Ashraf!

PROCEEDS TO NAJAF E ASHRAFIn the last quarter of 1951 Allama Najafi got a call

from Hazrat Amir al Momineen (a.s). On 17 October1951 he started his journey for Najaf e Ashraf. It is the prac-tice of all the international centres of learning that they don’taccept the degrees awarded by Pakistani universities and ex-pect the students to qualify in the entrance tests conducted bythem for the same curriculum. When they satisfy themselvesthat the student has the required proficiency to pursue thehigher studies, they give admittance to the candidate. AllamaNajafi too took up the study of Kifaya Ras-ael and Makasib for 4 years in Najaf e Ashraf and thentook Dars e kharij for one year. Dars e Kharij is equivalentto a doctorate in a university. His mentors in Najaf were AlSayed Mohsin al Hakim, Ayatollah Abul Qasim Khoee, Al-lama Sheik Mohammed Ali Afghani, Allama Sayed AbulQasim Rashti, Aqai Buzurg Tehrani (who gave him thecertification for study of the Hadit), Sheik MohammedTaqi Al e Razi and Sheik al Jameah Maulana AkhtarAbbas.

While Allama Sayed Safdar Hussain faced much hardshipduring his journey to Najaf e Ashraf, his stay there too wasn’tone of ease. He couldn’t get admittance to any of the hostelsthere. He used to spend his nights on the pavements. Howeverhe had the privilege of acquiring knowledge in the disciplines

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of the Ale Mohammed (s.a) in ample measure. At the begin-ning of the fourth year of his stay at Najaf e Ashraf he mar-ried into a respectable family of Najaf. The next two years hehad a life of considerable ease. After spending 5 years inthe Holy City Allama Sayed Safdar Hussain decided to re-turn home to Pakistan.. In the year 1956 he arrived in hishome country and served his community the rest of his lifethere. His scholastic and oratorical services have been highlycommendable. He was instrumental in establishingmany Madrasas where large numbers of students acquirelearning.

HIS DISCIPLESAs a fruit tree is recognized with the quality of fruits it puts

forth, so is a mentor recognized by the quality of the discipleshe trains. The culture of mentor-disciple inIslam is timetested! The disciples of Allama Najafi are there in every nookand corner of the country. They are there in other lands aswell!

We are mentioning here only those disciples ofthe Allama who are recognized as scholars of high caliber:

Allama Hafiz Riyaz Hussain Najafi, He succeeded AllamaSafdar Hussain as the principal of Hauza e Ilmia Jameh alMuntazar, Maulana Sheik Mohsin Ali Najafi PrincipalMadrasa Jameh Ahl al Bayt, Islamabad, Maulana SayedAshiq Hussain Najafi Principal Jameh al Ghadeer,Maulana Sheik Karamat Ali Principal Jameh Jafaria,Maulana Sheik Hassan Reza Ghadeeri Principal JamehMuntazar London, Maulana Moosa Baig Najafi mentorJameh al Muntazar, Maulana Baqir, Maulana Taj ud deenHaidari, Maulana Mohammed Aslam Sadiqi, MaulanaManzoor Hussain Abidi, Maulana Sayed Mohammed Hus-sain Akbar Principal Minhaj al Quran, Maulana SayedMohammed Abbas, Maulana Sayed Khadim HussainNaqvi, Maulana Abul Hassan Naqvi, Maulana Sayed Mo-hammed Sibtain Naqvi.

LITERARY WORKSMaulana Najafi was endowed with a short life by

the Almighty. But he lived a full life of learning and erudition

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in that short period. Despite his multifarious activities he hasleft behind more than 70 books and chronicles. Most of themhave been translations of the works of masters. But thecolumns and comments he penned on the contents have addedquality to his efforts. The books that he translated, adding hislearned comments, are:

Tafseer e Namoona: The original work is in Persian com-piled by a board consisting of erudite scholars under AqaiNasir Makarim. This commentary is so comprehensive thatone wouldn’t need to refer to any other commentary. This workhad been done under the instructions of Imam Khomeini. Al-lama Najafitranslated the book into simple Urdu that runs in-to 27 hard bound volumes. He accomplished the monumentalwork in a period of 6 years.

Kitab al Saqifa: This book, in fact, was translated bysomeone else, but Allama Najafi reviewed and edited it. Thisbook throws light on the politics of the infamousSaqifa.

Tazkirat al Khawaas: The original book was written by Sibtibn e Jauzi, an eminent Sunni scholar. The book is based onthe Sirat al Aimma—the lifes of the Imams (a.s).

Tauzeeh al Masail: This is the Urdu translation of ImamKhomeini’s “Tauzeeh al Masail”.

Hukumat e Islami: This is an Urdu translation of the talksgiven by Imam Khomeini on the subject of governance un-der Islamic Norms. The theme of these talks, delivered in Na-jaf e Ashraf, Iraq, was Wilayat e Faqeeh.

Tafseer e Mauzooee: This is an Urdu translation of thecommentary of the Holy Quran done by Aqaee Jafar Subh-ani. This is a commentary dealing with thetopics(Mauzooaat) in the Holy Quran separately. This was one ofthe last significant works of Allama Najafi.

Ahsan al Miqaal: This is a translation of Sheik Qummi’s“Muntahi al Damaal” which highlights the lives and works ofthe Infallibles (a.s).

Inteqaab Tarikh Tabari: This is an Urdu translation of thechapters dealing with the lives and times of the First ThreeImams (a.s) from the monumental book of history writtenby Allama ibn e Jarir Tabari.

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Serat e Aimma: Allama Najafi translated 12 small book-lets on the lives of the Infallible Imams (a.s).

Huqooq aur Islam: This is the first book authored by Al-lama Najafi. It encompasses a Muslim’s daily rights andduties.

The other works credited to Allama Najafi are: Irfan alMajalis, Sa-aada al Abadia, Maadan al Jawahir, Irshad In-qilab, Aqaed Imamia, Barah Imami Shia and Ahl al Bayt(a.s), Aitraaf Haqiqat Irshad al Quloob, Risala al Mawaizetc.

THE DIFFICULT TIMESWhen the Iranian Revolution succeeded, everyone seemed

to be eulogizing it. Whoever had any animosity against any oth-er person he would blame him of being an antagonist ofthe Revolution. People had started spreading such canardagainst some eminent Ulema. They started printing and dis-tributing pamphlets against suchUlema and even they mailedcopies to their subjects of the insinuation. Allama Najafi ex-perienced all this and his heart cried.

Sometimes they spread the falsehood that the Allama wasagainst the Kalima e Wilaya. This despite the fact that Al-lama Najafi was the member of the team that represented tothe High Court that the Kalima e wilaya—Ali an Wali Al-lah— is an important pillar of the Shia Creed and it was offi-cially endorsed in Rahnuma e Asataza, an important guidebook issued by the Government to the teachers.The Allama’s antagonists also ridiculed him in the presence ofhis own next of kin. His son is on record saying that if thewords were repeated in front of a Court the persons would begiven sixty flogs in punishment. They recited lampooningverses against the Allama in the gatherings of the community.Notwithstanding all these attacks, Allama Safdar Hus-sain’s only reaction was patience and equanimity. He proved atrue practitioner of Kazimain al Ghaiz—Patience in anger!

The Allama’s friends received the sad message of his de-mise. He was now free of the worldly trials and tribulations.His life was like a diamond that has many facets. In every facetof this diamond we have lessons to learn. He was an exemplarybrther, a son-in-law and a spouse. His spouse’s assessment of

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him is weightier than a thousand praises. She said, “I am notproud of my husband’s achievement, I am only thankful to Al-lah!” He was an affectionate father and a considerate mentor.In his33 years of teaching he never once reprimanded a dis-ciple. The only time he used his rod to beat his disciple SayedAta al Rehman Naqvi. The disciple cried. The Al-lama’s mother asked him to refrain from using the rod! Fromthat day he was very soft and considerate with his disciples.When his disciples visited him to pay their last homage to himhe said, “My sons! If I had ever been unreasonable to you;please do forgive me!” The disciples cried inconsolably overthis. The Allama was also a very effective reformer. He notonly pointed out the social ills in his talks, but he advised thesteps to overcome them. Although he wasn’t financially inde-pendent, he always strived to help the needy. He was lessa Maulvi and more a Dervish. His food, dress and living stylereflected the life of a mendicant. He never took hometheKhums fund. Once a person gifted to him a drugget andtwo shawls and said that they were from his Khums money.He immediately gave hundred rupees to the person. The per-son took fifty rupees from that being the cost of the gifted art-icles and returned the remaining fifty rupees to Allama.

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Chapter 15Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-ShaykhMuhammad Fadil al-Lankarani -(1931-2007)

1. His BirthAYATULLAH AL-UZMA AL-HAJ ASH-SHAYKH FADIL

LANKARANI was born in 1931 in the Holy city of Qum. Hisfather, the late Ayatullah Fadil Lankarani was a great teacherand scholar in the Islamic Seminary of Qum. His dear mother,was a pure and noble woman of descent from the family of theProphet of Islam, Peace be upon him and his family.

2. His StudiesAt the age of 13, after the completion of primary school, he

began studying Islamic studies in the seminary of Qum, wheredue to his great ability and aptitude, he was able to finish thepreliminary stages of Islamic studies within six years.

At the age of 19, he started attending lessons in Fiqh (Juris-prudence) and Usul (Principles of Jurisprudence) at the Kharijlevel (the highest level of Islamic studies), which were beingtaught by Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Muhammad Hus-sein Burujerdi, May Allah raise his status. Because of his youngage and his ability to pick up information very quickly, his fel-low students and his teachers quickly recognized him. One ofhis close friends and study partners, during his quest for know-ledge, was none other than the beloved son of the founder ofthe Islamic Republic of Iran, the late Shaheed Mustafa Khu-mayni,May he be showered in Allah's peace.

3. His Teachers

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Ayatullah Lankarani benefited from Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajjas-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Burujerdi's lectures in the sub-jects of Fiqh and Usul for almost 11 years. He also participatedin the classes of the late Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-SayyidRuhullah al-Musawi al-Khumayni for 9 years. Under these twogreat teachers, he was able to benefit a great deal, and quicklyexcelled in his studies.

He also took part in the lectures on philosophy and Tafsir(Explanation) of the Holy Qur'an under the great scholar,'Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussayn al-Tabataba'I, May Al-lah raise his rank, in which he gained much knowledge andenlightenment.

Because of her perseverance and endeavors, he was able toreach to the great stage of Ijithad at the early age of 25,something that his eminent teacher, the late Ayatullah al-Uzmaal-Hajj as-Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Burujerdi gave to him inwriting.

4. His TeachingFor many years, he was busy teaching the intermediate level

of studies in the Islamic Seminary of Qum to a great number ofstudents. In addition to this, for the past 25 years, he has beenteaching lessons of Kharij in the areas of Fiqh and Usul (Kharijis the highest level of Islamic studies after which, if completedin their entirety, elevate the person to a Mujtahid). His lessonsare so popular that in any one lesson, over 700 scholars andpersonalities of the Hawza 'Ilmiyyah of Qum can be seen takingpart! In addition to this, for the past few years, his lessons onFiqh have been broadcast by Iranian Radio, thus, those livingwithin the Islamic Republic, and even those in foreign coun-tries have benefited from his vast amount of knowledge.

5. His Struggles against the Despotic Regime of theShah

From the beginning of the political and social struggle anddefiance of Ayatullah Khomeini against the oppression, corrup-tion and tyrannical government of the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran,Ayatullah Fadil Lankarani was one of the helpers and

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supporters of Ayatullah Khomeini. Step by step in every move-ment that the defenders of Islam took, Ayatullah Lankarani wasthere and played an active role. One of his important moveswas to be involved with the Jami'ah Mudarasin, a group thatconsists of the teachers in the Hawza 'Ilmiyyah of Qum inwhich they were busy spreading the word of Islam and theIslamic Revolution among the masses. More than this, it wasthey who announced the Marja'iyat and Leadership of Ayatul-lah Khomeini… Many times during this difficult period, Ayatul-lah Fadil Lankarani was jailed, and finally, as if the Shah couldno longer take the 'Ulama and their standing up for the truth,he was forced to exile him to an area known as Bandar Lange.After staying there for 4 months, we was moved to the city ofYazd, where he was forced to reside for a period of 18 months.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, AyatullahFadil Lankarani continued to play an important role along sidethe leader, Ayatullah Khomeini, May his spirit be sanctified,and even today, under the leadership of Ayatullah Khameni'i,he is still fully supportive and active.

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ayatullah Lankarani wasappointed as a member of The Council of Experts, and for morethan 10 years, served as the administrator of the Islamic Sem-inary of Qum.

6. His Love for the Ahl al-Bait, Peace be upon all ofthem

From the earliest of times, himself and his family have beenlovers and followers of the Ahl al-Bait, Peace be upon all ofthem, and as has been noted, weekly gatherings to commemor-ate the martyrdom of Abu 'Abdillah al-Husayn, Peace be uponhim, and his loyal family and followers, gatherings to commem-orate the martyrdom of the Ma'sumin, Peace be upon all ofthem, and programs to celebrate the birth anniversaries of theLeaders of Islam, Peace be upon all of them, were held by hislate father, and even today, continue to be held.

7. Salat al-Jama'at in Qum

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After the passing away of Ayatullah al-Uzma al-SayyidShahab ad-Din Najafi al-Mar'ashi, he was inundated with re-quests from the students of the Hawza 'Ilmiyyah of Qum, aswell as from the people of Qum, not to mention from those incharge to oversee and run the daily programs of the Haram ofFatimah al-Ma'sumah, Peace be upon her, to lead the Salat al-Jama'at. He humbly accepted this responsibility, and everynight, under the graceful eyes of the sister of Imam 'Ali ibnMusa al-Rida who is buried in Qum, thousands of scholars, stu-dents, visitors to this holy city and residents of Qum offeredtheir prayers behind this humble man.

8. The Station f Marja'iyatAfter the death of Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid

Ruhullah al-Musawi al-Khumayni, May Allah raise his rank, thebelievers turned to him for Taqlid. After the untimely demise ofAyatullah al-Uzma ash-Shaykh Araki, May Allah raise his rank,Ayatullah Fadil Lankarani was officially introduced, by theHawza 'Ilmiyyah of Qum in their statement, as the number oneMarja Taqlid of the Muslim Ummah.

9. His WritingsAlong with the important task of teaching the future scholars

of Islam, and raising up the guardians of the Religion, he alsofinds time to write and compile books, some of which include:

1. Tafsil al-Shari'ah (Arabic): A concise, explanatory work de-tailing the book Tahrir al-Wasilah, which was AyatullahKhomeini's compilation of Islamic rules and regulations writtenin Arabic. Up to now, 13 volumes of this work have been prin-ted and are available, with another 5 volumes under print.

2. Hashiah al-'Urwatul Wuthqa (Arabic): The detailed book ofFiqh written by Ayatullah Sayyid Kazim Yazdi, with the opin-ions of Ayatullah Fadil Lankarani.

3. Nihaya al-Taqrir (Arabic): The notes of the lessons ofAyatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Muhammad HusseinBurujerdi's classes on Salat, printed in two volumes.

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4. Hashiah Kitab at-Taharah Misbah al-Faqihi (Arabic): Thenotes on the "Book of Cleanliness" written by MuhaqqiqHamdani.

5. A summary on the topic of "al-Ijtihad and at-Taqlid" fromthe book al-'Urwatul Wuthqa in Arabic.

6. Kitab as-Sawm (Arabic): The Book of Fasting

7. Kitab al-Qada (Arabic): The Book of Passing Judgement

8. Al-Masail al-Mustahditah (Arabic): A compilation of theIslamic laws.

9. A discussion on the ruling of reading the Salat while wear-ing clothing that one has doubts about. (Arabic)

10. A discussion on the Hajj and 'Umrah.(Arabic)

11. Al-Ahkam al-Wadihah (Arabic): Compilation of the Islamicrules.

12. Ahkam al-Hajj (Arabic): Notes on the book Tahrir al-Wasi-lah on the section of Hajj.

13. Al-Qawa'id al-Fiqhhiyah (Arabic): A text covering the vari-ous laws of Islamic Jurisprudence.

14. Taqrirat al-Usul (Arabic): His notes on the lessons ofAyatullah Khomeini, printed in 5 volumes.

15. Tibyan al-Usul (Arabic): His notes on the lessons of Usulthat he has taught, printed in four volumes.

16. Taqrirat al-Usul (Arabic): His notes on the lessons of Usulthat were taught by Araki Burujerdi.

17. Taqrirat Dars-e-Kharij Usul (Farsi): His Notes on the les-sons of Usul that he has taught, printed in 8 volumes.

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18. Tawdhi al-Masail (Farsi): Complete collection of Islamiclaws.

19. Manasik Hajj (Farsi): Rules for the Hajj.

20. An Introduction to Tafsir in the Science of the Qur'an(Arabic)

21. Tafsir of Surah al-Fatiah (Arabic)

22. Possessing a country in the view point of Imam 'Ali,Peace be upon him.

23. The Infallibility of the Prophets

24. A Collection of Indexes: An index to Bihar al-Anwar, al-Ghadir and al-Mizan.

25. Ahl al-Bait, Peace be upon them: The 14 lights in theAyah of Tathir (33:33)

26. The Pure A'immah, Peace be upon all of them: TheGuardians of the Revelation in the Holy Qur'an. (These twobooks (Ahl al-Bait, Peace be upon them: The 14 lights in theAyah of Tathir (33:33) and this one)) were compiled and writ-ten along with Ayatullah Ashraqi.

27. Manasik Hajj (Arabic)

28. Questions and Answers regarding the Hajj (Arabic)

29. Questions and Answers regarding the Hajj (Farsi)

30. Jami' al-Masa'il (Farsi): Two volumes of Questions andAnswers dealing with various Islamic topics.

http://www.islamcpo.com/islam/fazelfazel@islamcpo.comTel: 98 251 30860,

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Fax: 98 251 723098

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Chapter 16Martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr -(1933-1980)

Born : On : March 1 1935 At :Kazmayn Iraq

Died : On : 8 April 1980 At : NajafIraq

Age :47

BiographyHis father died in 1937, leaving the family penniless. In 1945

the family moved to the holy city of Najaf, where al-Sadr wouldspend the rest of his life. He was a child prodigy who, at ten,was delivering lectures on Islamic history, and at eleven, hestudied logic and wrote a book to refute philosophy.[1]Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr completed his religious teachings atreligious seminaries under al-Khoei and Muhsin al-Hakim atthe age of 25 and began teaching.

While teaching he became a prominent member of the IraqiShia community, and was noted for his many writings. His firstworks were detailed critiques of Marxismthat presented earlyideas of an alternative Islamic form of government. Perhaps hismost important work was Iqtisaduna, one of the most import-ant works onIslamic economics. This work was a critique ofboth socialism and capitalism. He was subsequently commis-sioned by the government of Kuwait to assess how thatcountry's oil wealth could be managed in keeping with Islamicprinciples. This led to a major work on Islamic banking thatstill forms the basis for modern Islamic banks. 16. Al-Bank al-laRibawi fi al-Islam (Usury-free Banking in Islam).

He also worked with Sayyid Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim informing an Islamist movement in Iraq. This attracted the

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attention of the Baath Party, which resulted in numerous im-prisonments for the Ayatollah. He was often subjugated to tor-ture during his imprisonments, but continued his work afterbeing released. One of the founders of modern Islamist thoughthe is credited with first developing the notion, later put in op-eration in Iran, of having western style democratic elections,but with a body of Muslim scholars to ensure all laws corres-ponded with Islamic teachings.

In 1977, he was sentenced to life in prison following upris-ings in Najaf, but was released two years later due to his im-mense popularity. Upon his release however, he was put underhouse arrest. In 1980, after writing in the defense of the Islam-ic Revolution, Sadr was once again imprisoned, tortured, andexecuted by the regime ofSaddam Hussein. His sister, AminaSadr bint al-Huda, was also imprisoned, tortured, and ex-ecuted. It has been alleged that Sadr was killed by having aniron nail hammered into his head[2] and then being set on fire.

During the execution of Saddam Hussein, chants of "Longlive Mohammed Baqir Sadr!" were heard being chanted bysome of the Shi'a guards. CNN article

Political Philosophy: Wilayat Al-UmmaMohammad Baqir Al-Sadr's political philosophy, known as

Wilayat Al-Umma (Governance of the people), set out his viewof a modern day Islamic state. Using his mastery of the Quranand his innovative subject-based approach to Quranic exegesis,Al-Sadr extracted two concepts from the Holy text in relationto governance:khilafat al-insan (Man as heir or trustee of God)and shahadat al-anbiya (Prophets as witnesses). Al-Sadr ex-plained that throughout history there have been '…two lines.Man’s line and the Prophet’s line. The former is the khalifa(trustee) who inherits the earth from God; the latter is theshahid (witness).'[3].

Al-Sadr demonstrated that khilafa (governance) is ‘a rightgiven to the whole of humanity’ and explained it to be an oblig-ation given from God to the human race to ‘tend the globe andadminister human affairs’. This was a major advancement ofIslamic political theory. Al-Sadr stated that the legitimacy of agovernment in an Islamic state comes from the people, and notfrom the clerics. Al-Sadr explained that throughout history

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there have been '…two lines. Man’s line and the Prophet’s line.The former is the khalifa (trustee) who inherits the earth fromGod; the latter is the shahid (witness)'[3].

While Al-Sadr identified khilafa as the obligation and right ofthe people, he used a broad-based exegesis of a Quranicverse[4] to identify who held the responsibility of shahada inan Islamic state: First, the Prophets (anbiya’); second, theImams, who are considered a divine (rabbani) continuation ofthe Prophets in this line; and lastly the marja’iyya (seeMarja)[5].

While the two functions of khilafa (governance)and shahada (martyrism; supervision) were united during thetimes of the Prophets, the two diverged during the occultationso that khilafa returned to the people (umma) and shahada tothe scholars[6].

Al-Sadr also presented a practical application of khilafa, inthe absence of the twelfth Imam. He argued the practical ap-plication of the khilafa (governance) required the establish-ment of a democratic system whereby the people regularlyelect their representatives in government:

'Islamic theory rejects monarchy as well as the variousforms of dictatorial government; it also rejects the aris-tocratic regimes and proposes a form of government,which contains all the positive aspects of the democraticsystem.' [7]

He continued to champion this point until his final days:

'Lastly, I demand, in the name of all of you and in thename of the values you uphold, to allow the people theopportunity truly to exercise their right in running theaffairs of the country by holding elections in which acouncil representing the ummah (people) could trulyemerge.'[8]

Al-Sadr was executed by Saddam Hussein in 1980 before hewas able to provide any details of the mechanism for the prac-tical application of the shahada(martyrism) concept in anIslamic state. A few elaborations of shahada can be found in Al-Sadr’s works.

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In his text ‘Role of the Shiah Imams in the reconstruction ofIslamic society’, Al-Sadr illustrates the scope and limitations ofshahada by using the example of the third Shi’i Imam, Husseinibn Ali (the grandson of the Prophet), who stood up to Yazid,the ruler at the time. Al-Sadr explains Yazid was not simply go-ing against Islamic teachings, as many rulers before and afterhim had done, but he was distorting the teachings and tradi-tions of Islam and presenting his deviated ideas as Islam itself.This, therefore, is what led Imam Hussein to intervene to chal-lenge Yazid in order to restore the true teachings of Islam, andas a consequence laid down his own life. In Al-Sadr’s ownwords, the shahid’s (witness – person performing shahada orsupervision) duties are ‘to protect the correct doctrines and tosee that deviations do not grow to the extent of threatening theideology itself'.

List of works[9]

Jurisprudence• 1. Buhuth fi Sharh al- 'Urvah al' Wuthqa (Discourses on

the Commentary of al- 'Urvah al-Wuthqa), 4 volumes.• 2. Al-Ta'liqah 'ala Minhaj al-Salihin (Annotation of Ayatul-

lah Hakim's Minhaj al-Salihin), 2 volumes.• 3. Al-Fatawa al-Wazihah (Clear Decrees).• 4. Mujaz Ahkam al-Hajj (Summarized Rules of Hajj)• 5. Al-Ta'liqah 'ala Manasik al-Hajj (Annotation of Ayatul-

lah Khui's Hajj Rites).• 6. Al-Ta'liqah 'ala Salah al-Jumu'ah (Annotation on Friday

Prayer)Fundamentals of the law

• 7. Durus fi Ilm al-Usul (Lessons in the Science of Juris-prudence), 3 Parts.

• 8. Al-Ma'alim al-Jadidah lil-Usul (The New Signposts ofJurisprudence).

• 9. Ghayah al-Fikr (The Highest Degree of Thought)Philosophy

• 10. Falsafatuna (Our Philosophy)Logic• 11. Al-Usus al-Mantiqiyyah lil-Istiqra' (The Logical Basis

of Induction)

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Theology• 12. Al-Mujaz fi Usul al-Din: al-Mursil, al-Rasul, al-Risalah

(The Summarized Principles of Religion: The Sender, TheMessenger, The Message).

• 13. Al-Tashayyu' wa al-Islam - Bahth Hawl al-Wilayah(Discourse on Divine Authority).

• 14. Bahth Hawl al-Mahdi (Discourse on Imam Mahdi)Economics

• 15. Iqtisaduna (Our Economics).• 16. Al-Bank al-la Ribawi fi al-Islam (Usury-free Banking in

Islam).• 17. Maqalat Iqtisadiyyah (Essays in Economy).Qur'anic commentaries• 18. Al-Tafair al-Mawzu'i lil-Qur'an al-Karim - al-Madrasah

al-Qur'aniyyah (The Thematic exegesis of the HolyQur'an).

• 19. Buhuth fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an (Discourses on Qur'anicSciences).

• 20. Maqalat Qur'aniyyah (Essays on Qur'an).History• 21. Ahl al-Bayt Tanawwu' Ahdaf wa Wahdah Hadaf (Ahl

al- Bayt, Variety of Objectives Towards a Single Goal).• 22. Fadak fi al-Tarikh (Fadak in History).Islamic Culture• 23. Al-Islam Yaqud al-Hayah (Islam Directive to Life).• 24. Al-Madrasah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic School)• 1. Al-Insan al-Mu'asir wa al-Mushkilah al-Ijtima'iyyah

(Modern Man and Social Problems)• 2. Maza Tu'raf 'an al-Iqtisad al-Islami? (What could be

Known of Islamic Economy?)• 25. Risalatuna (Our Mission).• 26. Nazrah Ammah fi al-Ibadat (General View on Rites of

Worship).• 27. Maqalat wa Muhazrat (Essays and Lectures)

Books• Iqtisaduna• Falsafatuna

References1. ^ Baqir Al-Sadr, Our Philosophy, Taylor and Francis,

1987, p. xiii

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2. ^ Anthony Shadid, Night Draws Near: Iraq's People inthe Shadow of America's War, (Holt, 2005), p.164

3. ^ a b Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr, Al-Islam yaqud al-hayat,Qum, 1979, p.132

4. ^ Quran 5:445. ^ Baqir Al-Sadr, Al-Islam yaqud al-hayat, Qum, 1979,

p.246. ^ Faleh A Jabar, The Shi’ite Movement in Iraq, London:

Saqi Books, 2003, p.2867. ^ Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr, Lamha fiqhiya, p.208. ^ Mohammed Baqir Al-Sadr, Principles of Islamic Juris-

prudence, London: ICAS, 2003, p.159. ^ The Super Genius Personality of Islam• Mallat, Chibli. "Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr." Pioneers of

Islamic Revival. ed. Ali Rahnema. London: Zed Books,1994

• Arabic Biography

Shaheed Al-Iraq, Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr

A four part documentary on the life of Shaheed MuhammadBaqir al-Sadr in the Arabic language. The documentary fea-tures his academic and political life; and his innovative contri-butions in these fields. Shaheed Al-Sadr was martyred on the9th of April 1980 alongside his sister Sayyeda Amina Al-Sadr,famously known as Bint Al-Huda. The AhlulBayt Islamic Mis-sion presents this series, on the anniversary of their martyr-dom, to commemorate these great beacons of light who,through their lives, contributions and esteem martyrdom, gavelife to millions…

Arabic documentary on the life of Ayatollah Al-Mujahed Al-Shaheed Al-Sayyed Muhammad Baqir Al-SadrShaheed Al-Iraq 1 of 4 ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ????? -Arabic

The Role of Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr in Shi'a Political Act-ivism in Iraq From 1958 to 1980

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http://islamicinsights.com/religion/history/sayyid-muhammad-baqir-al-sadr.html

Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr"It has become clear – although with great sorrow – that the

deceased Ayatollah, the Martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and his honorable, oppressed sister – who was among theteachers of knowledge and ethics and among the most pridefulin knowledge and literature – have attained the elevated statusof martyrdom at the hands of the Iraqi regime. And this wascarried out in a terribly horrid way.

"But it is not a surprise that such great ones should be mar-tyred – those who have spent their lives struggling in the wayof Islamic goals – and at the hands of murderers who havewasted their lives in oppression and blood-sucking."

– From an announcement attributed to ImamKhomeini

His name was Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. His ancestrycould be traced back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peacebe upon him and his family) through the Seventh Imam, ImamMusa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him). He was born on the 25thof Thil Hijjah, 1353 AH (March 1, 1935 CE) in the city of Kadh-miyya, Iraq.

Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr learned reading and writingat the Muntada al-Nashr elementary school in the city of Kadh-miyya. Even at a young age, his teachers and peers wereamazed at his brilliance and ability to grasp advanced material.His ability was such that he studied most of the Sutooh-levelbooks without a teacher.

When Sayyid al-Sadr turned 12, he started studying thebook Ma'aalim al-Usool under his brother Sayyid Ismail al-Sadr. It is said that when Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadrwould object to some aspects of the book, his brother wouldsay, "These are the same objections that the author of Kifaayatal-Usool (which is among the highest, if not the highest, levelbooks in seminary studies) had against the authorof Ma'aalim." Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr then traveled tothe holy city of Najaf to complete his Islamic studies.

While the entire duration of his studies, from beginning toend, did not exceed about 18 years, this period was lengthy in

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its quality. The Sayyid was always concerned with his studies,committing all his time to seeking knowledge. Some of SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr's teachers were Ayatollah SayyidAbul Qasim al-Khoei, Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin Tabatabai al-Hakim, and others.

Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr began giving lessons by theyoung age of 25, teaching the first round of Ilm al-Usool inJamadi al-Thani, 1378 AH, and ending it in Rabee al-Awwal,1391 AH. He started teaching Bahth al-Khaarij (external re-search in Islamic jurisprudence) in 1381 AH. A few of his stu-dents were the Martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim, theMartyr Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr, and Sayyid Kamal al-Haidari.

Sayyid Baqir al-Sadr believed in the importance and neces-sity of establishing a mature Islamic government which wouldgovern by the Divine message of Islam and reflect all the en-lightening aspects of Islam. He believed that the leadership inIslamic work must be an aware Marjaiyyat – one which is fullyaware of the circumstances, hopes and goals of the Muslimcommunity. He was also concerned about the situation of theIslamic seminary, emphasizing the need to attract the youth tostrengthen the seminary.

The Sayyid worked to change the curriculum in the IslamicSeminary to better suit the needs of society, because the oldcurriculums were not producing enough scholars in the appro-priate time frame. To help solve this problem, SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr wrote the revolutionarythree Halaqaat (lessons in Ilm al-Usool).

Sayyid Kathem al-Husaini al-Haa'iri has described SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr as, "…the pride of his time…thegenius of this age, the miracle of this century…a principled jur-ist, a Muslim philosopher…he was a Marja' amongthe Maraja' of the Muslims in Najaf…he started the Islamic re-volution in Iraq and led it until he was martyred…."

In addition to his works on jurisprudence, Sayyid MuhammadBaqir al-Sadr penned many other books, includ-ing Falsafatuna and Iqtisaduna, ground-breaking works onIslamic philosophy and economics.

As the Ba'athists went about attacking the religious and cul-tural fabric of Iraq, the scholars of Najaf responded. At the

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forefront were Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and his sisterBintul Huda. Along with several notable scholars, includingMartyr Sayyid Baqir al-Hakim and Allama Murtadha Askari,Baqir al-Sadr foundedHizbul Dawatul Islamiya, or the IslamicCall Party, in order to promote Islamic values and combat thesocialist and secularist influences of the government. The partyactively campaigned against the Ba'athists' reign of terror thatshortly overtook the entire Iraqi nation. Meanwhile, his sisterAmina Bintul Huda, a Mujtahidaherself, conducted a literaryand academic struggle against the Ba'athists. She establishedschools for women, and she wrote numerous books and articlesaimed at the women of Iraq in order to promote Islamic values.

After ten months of house-arrest, Sayyid Muhammad Baqiral-Sadr and Bintul Huda were arrested on the 19th of Jamaadial-Awwal, 1400 AH (April 1980).

On the night of April 9, 1980, the Ba'athist regime cut off theelectricity from the holy city of Najaf and sent a security forceto the home of their cousin Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr. SayyidMuhammad al-Sadr went with security force back to theirheadquarters, where they showed him the bodies of SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda. Bathed in blood,the signs of torture were all over their bodies. SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda were buried in theWadi as-Salam graveyard in the holy city of Najaf that samenight.

Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and Bintul Huda saw op-pression and injustice around them, and they spoke up againstit. In that sense, they were true followers of Imam Hussain andLady Zainab (peace be upon them). Indeed, when Saddam wasasked to spare Bintul Huda's life, he instantly remarked, "Killthe brother and spare the sister? You want me to make thesame mistake as Yazid?!"

And yet, Saddam failed to learn from the mistakes of his pre-decessor. By assassinating Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadrand Bintul Huda, he actually helped give fresh blood to theIslamic revolutionary movements in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon,Pakistan, and around the Muslim world. In their martyrdom,the two have become icons of the Shia revolutionary spirit.Leaked video footage of Saddam's execution shows witnessesshouting "Long Live Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr!" And

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plastered on walls and billboards all over Iraq today, SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr's ubiquitous image continues to echothe words of Iqbal: "The murder of Hussain is actually thedeath of Yazid. After each Karbala, Islam is reborn."

http://ar.electionsmeter.com/%D9%81%D9%8A_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%84/Mohammad-Baqir-al-Sadr-id1272

ENG - Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr (Ar-abic: ??? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ) (March 1, 1935 –April 9, 1980) was an Iraqi Twelver Shi'a cleric, a philosopher,and ideological founder of Islamic Dawa Party born in al-Kazi-miya, Iraq. He is the father-in-law of Muqtada al-Sadr andcousin of both Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and Imam Musa as-Sadr. His father Haydar al-Sadr was a well respected highranking shi'a cleric. His lineage goes back to Muhammad,through the seventh Shia Imam, Musa al-Kazim. (See Sadr fam-ily for more details.)

Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr completed his religious teachings atreligious seminaries under al-Khoei and Muhsin al-Hakim atthe age of 25 and began teaching. - ???? ?????? Barzani Mas-soud ? -While teaching he became a prominent member of the IraqiShia community, and was noted for his many writings. His firstworks were detailed critiques of Marxism that presented earlyideas of an alternative Islamic form of government.

He also worked with Sayyid Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim informing an Islamist movement in Iraq. This attracted the atten-tion of the Baath Party, which resulted in numerous imprison-ments for the Ayatollah. He was often subjugated to tortureduring his imprisonments, but continued his work after beingreleased. One of the founders of modern Islamist thought he iscredited with first developing the notion, later put in operationin Iran, of having western style democratic elections, but witha body of Muslim scholars to ensure all laws corresponded withIslamic teachings. Publicly he was a supporter of AyatollahKhomeni.

In 1977, he was sentenced to life in prison following uprisings

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in Najaf, but was released two years later due to his immensepopularity. Upon his release however, he was put under housearrest. - ???? Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr ??? ????? ??? MassoudBarzani ? - In 1980, after writing in the defense of Khomeniand the Islamic Revolution, Sadr was once again imprisoned,tortured, and executed by the regime of Saddam Hussein. Hissister, Amina Sadr bint al-Huda, was also imprisoned, tortured,and executed. It has been alleged that Sadr was killed by hav-ing an iron nail hammered into his head and then being set onfire.During the execution of Saddam Hussein, chants of "Long liveMohammed Baqir Sadr!" were heard being chanted by some ofthe Shi'a guards.

PDFTHE CONTRIBUTION OF MUHAMMAD BÄQIR AL-SADR TOCONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC ECONOMIC THOUGHTWILSON Journal of Islamic Studies.1998; 9: 46-59

Martyr al-Sadr(may His mercy be upon him) (… SayyidMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr who was a Muslim intellectual and itwas hoped that Islam could profit more from him. And I hopethis great man's books are studied by Muslims… ) Imam Khu-mayni (may He be pleased with him), Sahifa-ye Nur, vol.14,p.177 (… his honored sister was a teacher of thought, ethicsand pride of science and literature… ) Imam Khumayni (mayHe be pleased with him), Sahifa-ye Nur, vol.12, p.56) A BriefAccount of the Martyr Sayyid's Biography The martyr Sayyid'sfather is Sayyid Haydar al-Sadr who was born in Samarra' Iraqin 1309 A.H. He was a grand marja' (supreme religious author-ity) of his time. His livelihood was to an extent of humblenessthat his family passed the night of his demise without super.He died in the city of Kazimayn, Iraq in 1359 A.H leaving threechildren: Sayyid Isma'il, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir and Sayy-idah Aminah (Known as Bint al-Huda). The martyr Sayyid al-Sadr's mother was the Ayatullah Shaykh Muhammad HassanAl Yassin's honored grand daughter; and the Ayatullah Shaykh'abd-ul Hussayn Al Yassin's daughter; and the sister of the

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grand Ayatullah Muhammad Rida Al Yassin, Ayatullah MurtadaAl Yassin and Radi Al Yassin's.

The martyr Sayyid was born in the city of Kazimayn, Iraq onDhil Qu'dah, 25, 1353 A.H/2.3.1933 CE. In early days of hischildhood, he was deprived of fatherhood and brought up byhis elder brother and bonored mother. He completed allhawzah (religious seminary) stages at the age of 25 in 1378A.H/1958 CE. A year after that, he himself started teaching al-Bahth al-kharij (the top academic stage) at hawzah. His excel-lency got married with his paternal cousin (the Imam Musa al-Sadr and Ayatullah Sayyid Rida al-Sadr's sister and the grandAyatullah Sayyid Sadr al-Din al-Sadr's daughter).

Five children was the Fruit of the blessed marriage. They were:A son called sayyid Jafar and four girls that three of them gotmarried with three sons of the martyr marja SayyidMuhammad al-Sadr. Recently, two of their husbands (SayyidMustapha and Sayyid Muammal) were martyred along withtheir eminent father.

His most important activities:

1. Teaching al-Bahth al-Kharij (a top academic degree athawzah) for more than twenty years.

2. Offering intellectual support to Jama't al-Ulama in Najaf atal-Adwa' magazine and other periodicals.

3. Offering intellectual support to Usul al-Din and Fiqh col-leges.

4. Innovating a new institxution for marja' iyyat in the Shi'ahworld called al-Marja'iyyah al-Mawdu'iyyah (subjective ma-jaiyyah).

5. Esteemed works in Economy, logic, usul, fiqh, principles ofbeliefs, etc.

6. Esteemed Political-intellectual stances in defense of the

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Islamic Republic of Iran. It suffices here to mention some of hisbrave-daring positions in defense of Imam Khumayni (may Hebe satisfied with him) as well as the Islamic Revolution whenthe Iraqi Ba'th party cast its fearful shadow over Najaf to anextent that people could hardly breathe: 1. Urging some of hisstudents to attend the late Imam's lessons. 2. Paying visits tothe Imam at his house. 3. Sending a detailed letter to the lateImam in Paris in 1357 A.H/1978. 4. Delivering lectures, extend-ing congratulations and closing classroom on the occasion ofthe Islamic Revolution's Victory, while no other marja couldhave taken such a due measure in Najaf. 5. Calling for his sup-porters to hold demonstration in support of the Islamic Revolu-tion and carrying the late Imam's pictures. 6. Writing a letterto his students who had migrated to Iran to Fully support thelate Imam and be at the service of the Islamic Revolution. 7.Writing a letter to the Iranian Arabs of Khuzistan asking themto follow Imam's leadership, as some mysterious hands soughtto sow discord between the Arabs and the Islamic government.8. At the outset of the Islamic Revolution's victory, he dis-cerned the existence of deviated groups as a danger for the Re-volution. Therefore, he started to write a series of "Islam leadsthe life" in order to stablize the Revolution's idealogic founda-tions. Six issues were published, but unfortunately, his martyr-dom did not let the series to be continued. 9. His correspond-ence with the late Imam, when the Imam returned to Iran. 10.Holding a ceremony in commemoration of martyr AyatullahMutahhari.

His Arrest: 1. Recent days of Rajab 1392 A.H./ 1972 CE 2. InSafar 1397 A.H./1977 CE following the Safar rise of Iraqipeople. 3. On Rajab, 17, 1399 A.H which Followed by Rajabrise of Iraqi People. 4. Eventually, after several abortive at-tempts, the martyr Sayyid was arrested on Saturday afternoonat 14:30 Jumada al-Ula 1400 A.H/April, 5,1980 CE. On April, 8,1980 at about 22:00 Najaf's power was cut. At midnight, theIraqi forces summoned the grand Ayatullah Sayyid MuhammadSadiq al-Sadr, the martyr sayyid's paternal cousin (the martyrmarja Sayyid Munammd, and delivered the bloody and torturedbodies of the martyr and his sister. At the very midnight, theywere buried at Wadi al-Salam of Najaf. His scholar and

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oppressed sister was his most powerful companion in thiscourse.

An Introduction to His Scholarly Writings. Martyr Sayyid al-Sadr (may He be pleased with him), like every other scholar,had profounded thoughts and had no time to apply them; ofcourse, regarding the martyr Sayyid its a double pity, for hewas martyred at the age of 47. Above all, some of his workswere robbed by Ba'thist executioners, namely, a book aboutanalysing human thought related to philosophy of cognitionand some other esteemed writings. His Most Scholarly charac-teristics 1. Comprehensiveness 2. Perfect comprehension inpercieving discussed subjects. 3. Innovation 4. Reguliarity 5.Logical and conscientious tendency.

His Most Important Writings

1. Iqtisaduna (our economy), 2 vols.

2. Falsafatuna (our philosophy) which includes philosophy ofknowledge and existence.

3. The Logical Basis of Induction, which includes a modern per-spective on philosophy of knowledge as well as a new answerto the philosophical problem of induction.

4. Discourses in Jurisprudence, four vols. which includes threecomplete series of ©ilm al-usul in three scholarly levels.

5. Discourses on Explanation of al-©Irwat al-Wuthqa, four vols.which includes argumentative-jurisprudential discourses. (mayhe rest in peace)

A part of the late Imam's message on the occasion of the mar-tyrdom of the grand Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammd Baqir al-Sadrand his revered sister In the Name of God, the Compassionate,the Merciful. "Surely we are Allah's and to Him we shall surelyreturn" the Qur©an (2:156) With much regret, according to hisexellency Mr.Minister of Foreign Affairs who received thatfrom several sources and Muslim states authorities and

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according to other sources, the late matyr AyatullahMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr along with his revered-oppressed sis-ter who were of teachers of thought, ethics and eminents ofknowledge and literature achieved high degree of martyrdomby the Iraq, debased Ba'thist regime in a heart-rending way.Martyrdom is an inheritance which is inherited by the author-ized to these dear personalities. And crime and oppression arealso inheritance which is inherited by their oppressive prede-cessors to these criminals of history. These eminents who havespent their lives for the cause of Islam and achieve martyrdomby criminals who have spent their lives in blood-sucking andoppression is not a surprise. It is surpise that mujahidin die inthe way of the Truth, while the criminal-oppressive do not wel-ter them in blood. In commemoration of this scholarly and mu-jahid figure who was of eminents of hawzah, religious an au-thorities and Muslim intellectuals, I announce three days (fromWednesday, Urdibehesht, 3) as mourning and Thursday, Urd-ibehesht, 4 as a public holiday. May God compensate for thisbig loss and grant greatness to Islam and Muslims. And peacebe upon the Allah's right servants. Ruhullah al-Musavi al-Khu-mayni 2.2.1359 S.H/ Sahifa-ye Nur

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Chapter 17Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Shaykh MirzaJawad at-Tabrizi - (1926-2007)AYATULLAH AL-UZMA AL-HAJJ ASH-SHAYKH MIRZA JAWADAT-TABRIZI was born in 1926 in the city of Tabriz, Iran. Afterfinishing his secular studies, and reaching the age of eighteen,he entered a theological school in his hometown.

Within four years of entering this, he managed to completethe preliminary and intermediate levels of his Islamic studies.In the year 1948, he migrated to Qum and finished other les-sons at the intermediate level. In Qum he reached the Kharijlevel where he attended the lectures of the late Ayatullah al-Hujjat, and Ayatullah al-'Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid MuhammadHussein Burujerdi. Asides from studying, he also taught the in-termediate to advanced courses of Islamic studies in Qum.

Ayatullah Mirza Jawad al-Tabrizi then migrated to Najaf al-Ashraf and was fortunate enough to benefit from eminentscholars such as the late Ayatullah al-Sayyid Abu al-Hadi ash-Shirazi, and the late Ayatullah al-'Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Abual-Qasim al-Khu'i, where he reached the level of Ijtihad.Ayatullah al-Tabrizi was invited by Ayatullah al-'Uzma al-Hajjas-Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khu'i to join the Assembly of Con-sultants, which was an organized group of scholars that re-sponded to the questions of the people.

Ayatullah al-Tabrizi stayed in the holy city of Najaf for about23 years, leaving only in the holidays to do propagation in dif-ferent countries. He later returned to Iran and began teachingFiqh (Jurisprudence) and Usul (Principles of Jurisprudence) inthe Islamic Seminary of Qum,

He passed away in 2007 & is buried in the qom shrine in iranDetails of his life & works is here ..

http://www.tabrizi.org

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tabrizi@tabrizi.orgTel: 98 251 7744286, 98251-743939, Fax: 98 251 774374

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Chapter 18Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi Najafi(R.A.) -(1897-1990)Extracts of his WillFounder of the Library

Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.), the leading jur-ist, the Grand Marja of the Shi'ites in the world, the greatpreserver of Islamic heritage, renowned jurisprudent, thegreat researcher, historian and genealogist.

Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Shihab al-Din Hussaini al-Marashi al-Najafi was born on 20the Safar 1315 A.H./ July 21,1897 in the holy city of Najaf(Iraq) in a famous religious fam-ily renowned for its high knowledge and ardent faith. In thebeginning he was taught by his learned father Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Shams al-Din Mahmood Husaini al-Marashi al-Najafi (passed away in 1338 lunar Hijrah) who was one of thegreatest Islamic jurisprudent of that era.

He also learned Qur'anic sciences and its exegesis, funda-mentals of jurisprudence, mathematics, astronomy, medicine,Rijal, Dirayah and theology from a large group of well-knownprofessors in the Hawzah (Islamic seminaries) in the holy cityof Najaf (Iraq), which was one of the greatest Islamic semin-ary in the Islamic world.

He attained the highest degree of Ijtihad in a short periodand be came renowned amongst the scholars for his in depthresearch and also for lecturing religious sciences in theseminary.

Some years later Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi al-Na-jafi(R.A.) went to mashhad(Iran) to perform the ziyarah ofImam Reza(A.S.). On his return he stayed in Tehran to pursuehis studies and researches.

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After a year stay in Tehran he decided to move to the holycity of Qom to attend the lectures of Ayatullah al-UzmaShaykh Abdul Karim Haeri al-Yazdi, the founder of theHawzah (Islamic Seminary) in Qom. On his arrival in Qom healso began lecturing in the Islamic seminary as well as atten-ded the advanced courses in jurisprudence lectured byAyatullah al Uzma Haeri al-Yazdi.

He decided to stay in the holy city of Qom and very soonemerged as a leading professor in the Hawzah.

After a short time the leading Ulama and professors of theIslamic seminary of Qom declared him as the Grand

Marja(religious leader) of the Shi'ites in the world. Millionsof the Shi'ites in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, U.A.E, Bahrain,Pakistan, India, Turkey, Tanzania, Kenya, Zanzibar and theeastern provinces of Saudi Arabia followed his rulings inIslamic jurisprudence.

Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) was the leadingprofessor in the Hawzah of Qom for more than 67 years. Hislectures every day was attended by hundreds of Ulama andTullab (seminary students). He also led the daily congrega-tional prayers in the holy shrine of Hadrat FatimaMasoomah(A.S.) for more than half a century.

Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) dedicated all hisefforts towards the progress and advancement of the Hawzahin the holy city of Qom. He trained hundreds of jurisprudentsand theologians who later on became famous professors inHawzah and the universities in Iran and abroad.

He wrote outstanding books in almost all the Islamic sci-ences. most of them were written in Arabic and they are asfollows:

* Molhaqat al Ahqaq * Al Hashiyah Ala al-Orwat al-Wothqa* Minhaj al-Momineen * Taqrirat al-Qusas * Tabaqat al-Nassabeen

* Al-Hashiyah Ala Kifayah al-Usul * Al-Hashiyah Ala Al-Ra-sail * Al Mashhahed Wal Mazarat * Aayan al-Marashieen

* Al-Moawal Fee Amr al-Motawal * Ulama al-Sada'at *Masareh al-Afkar Wa al-Hashiyah Ala Taqrirat al Shaykh al-Murtuza al-Ansari

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* Al-Fawa'id al-Rijaliyah * Kashf al-Irtiyab * Al Mujdi FiHayat Saheb al-Mujdi * Raf al-Ghashiyah An Wajh al-Hashiyah

* Al-Rad Ala Moddae'i al-Tahreef * Taliqah Ala Omdat al-Taleb * Mushajjarat Aal Rasool Allah al-Akram

* Rehlah Isfahan, Shiraz, Samarrah Wa Azarbaijan.

The Prominent Personalities Who Met Ayatullah al-UzmaMarashi Al-Najafi(R.A.)

1) The famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore.2) Rashid Raza, the Egyptian author of Tafseer al-Manar.3) Shaykh al-Tantawi al-Jawhari, the famous Egyptian au-

thor of Tafseer al-Jawaher.4) The Cardinal Al-Kermily from Baghdad(Iraq).5) Henry Corbin, the famous French philosopher and

orientalist.6) Shaykh Muhammad Bin Zebarah, the famous historian

from yemen.One of the most famous and important cultural services of

Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) was the establishment of agrand library in the holy city of Qom which has internationalreputation and prestige to its credit. This library is con-sidered as the greatest cultural heritage in the history ofIran. Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) is also famous as "TheGreatest Preserver of the Islamic Heritage" in the world's sci-entific circles and centres.

After rendering selfless service in the fields of learning,teaching and disseminating Islamic culture for nearly a cen-tury, Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) passed away after suffer-ing a heart attack on Wednesday, 29 August 1990. He was 96years of age.

On Friday, 31 August 1990, millions of devoted Shi'itesfrom throughout Iran and various countries carried the holyremains of Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) in the historical fu-neral procession which was attended by all the Grand Marja,Ulama, Tullab, high-ranking government and military officialsof Iran and diplomatic staff of the many Islamic countriesbased in Tehran. As per his last will he was laid to rest at theentrance of the Grand Library which was established by hisceaseless and incessant efforts. His last will states: "Bury me

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at the entrance of the library so that the feet of the research-ers of Islamic sciences step beside my grave."

Library's Development StagesThe first step of constructing the library was achieved

when the great founder was busy studying in the Islamicseminary of Najaf.

He was the first person to compile the index of themanuscripts and the rare published books which was con-sidered as an outstanding achievement. Imam Marashi al-Na-jafi(R.A.) used to sell his clothes and his household equip-ments to buy books and manuscripts. He took lots of pain andtrouble in this sacred endeavour. He used to avoid eating oneof his daily meals in order to save money to buy the rare prin-ted books and manuscripts. He also used to perform the fast-ing and Namaz of the deceased persons and the money paidfor this pious acts were dedicated by him to buy themanuscripts.

The books which he inherited from his late father alsoplayed an important role in providing the library with booksat its initial stage. Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) migratedfrom Najaf(Iraq) to Iran in 1342 A.H./ 1923 A.D., and carriedwith himself all the books which he had bought and inheritedin Najaf and preserved them in his residence in Qom. He con-tinued collecting and buying manuscripts and other rare prin-ted books. In 1959, he presented 278 rare manuscripts in Ar-abic and Persian to Tehran University's

College of Theology and Divinity. He also presented numer-ous rare manuscripts and valuable printed books to many ofthe leading libraries in Iran.

After establishing "Marashiyah Islamic Seminary" in theholy city of Qom in 1385 A.H./ 1965 A.D., he reserved acouple of rooms of the seminary for the library. That was theturning point in this glorious and shining path of establishinga grand library.

During the same year the library was inaugurated in thethird floor of the Islamic seminary. A vast collection ofmanuscripts and rare printed books were transferred to thislibrary.

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The increasing number of researchers who daily visitedthis library made this small but very rich library overcrowded. Thus, 1000 sq.metres of adjoining land was boughtand attached to "Marashiyah Islamic Seminary" in the year1390 A.H./ 1970 by Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.). On 15thShaban 1394 A.H./ 1974, the reference section of AyatullahMarashi Najafi's library was inaugurated with the collectionof 1600 rare manuscripts and thousands of printed books andsoon after another 500 rare manuscripts were added to thetreasury of the library.

In the course of time the library emerged as the centre ofthe scholars and researchers. With the gradual increase inthe number of the visitors the space shortage was once againfelt by the library. In 1989, Imam Khomeini(R.A.), the founderof Islamic Republic of Iran issued a decree ordering the gov-ernment of the Islamic Republic of Iran for implementing theplans for the manifold expansion of the library in accordingto with the master plan for expansion as prepared by Hojjatal-Islam Dr Mahmud Marashi, the president of the library.

On 20th Zee-al-Hajjah 1410 A.H./ 1989, Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.) laid the foundation stone of the new grand build-ing. The new building possesses seven stories and occupies atotal area of 16000sq. meters . At present both the old andthe new buildings of the grand library occupies a total area of21,000 sq. meters.

Mailing Address:The Grand Library of Ayatullah al-Uzma MarashiNajafi(R.A.).Ayatullah Marashi Najafi(R.A.) Avenue.P.O.Box.No: 37157.Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran.Tel: 0098-251-7741970-78Fax: 0098-251-7743637Websites:http://www.marashilibrary.comhttp://www.marashilibrary.nethttp://www.marashilibrary.orgE.mail:sm_marashi@marashilibrary.orgThe Aims:

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The great founder of this library established this grand lib-rary with the aim of collecting and preserving themanuscripts for the purpose of research and analysis by thescholars and researchers.These aims have been achieved by implementing the follow-ing measures:

1 - Establishing this Great International Islamic CulturalCentre which helps in developing and describing the tre-mendousand extensive scientific achievements of the Islamic cultureand civilization during the last fourteen centuries.

2 - Creating excellent group discussions and research facilit-ies for the researchers in the library.

3 - Keeping at the disposal of the researchers the valuablemanuscripts preserved in this great center which exhibitsandmanifests for them the written Islamic culture and heritage inifferent fields and branches of sciences and arts. Many of therare manuscripts have been edited after under going athrough process of extensive research and analysis.

4 - Collecting and preserving the exquisite and raremanuscripts in this great centre.

5 - Providing the microfilms and photocopies of themanuscripts preserved in other libraries of the world.

6 - Delivering this vast treasure of Islamic heritage preservedin this great library to the next generations so that they canknowabout their glorious past, culture, civilization and heritage.

7 - The photocopies, microfilms and slides of all themanuscripts preserved in this library are made available. Allthesafety measures and the international standards for book-keeping and preservation are strictly implemented in this

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library.

Library's Departments and Sections

This grand library comprises of various departments and sec-tions which are directly administered by the president of thelibrary. Imam Marashi al-Najafi(R.A.), delegated the adminis-tration and management of the library to his son and chieftrustee, Hojjat al-Islam Dr Mahmud Marashi about 35 yearsago.

The various departments and sections of the grand libraryare as follows:

A - The President's Office:

This section comprises of the president's office room, recep-tion room, the private secretary's room, assistance room andthe officeroom of the manager of the women's section. The president isthe chief executive of the library and runs the administra-tion.

The president's office consists of various departments whichare as follows:

1 - Endowments Department:This department looks after the administration of all theproperties like residential buildings and commercial com-plexesendowed to the grand library by philanthropists in Qom,Tehran and Isfahan.

2 - Public Relations and International Affairs Department:This department is in charge of the invitations andreception's timetables for the Iranian and foreign guests, re-leasing the newsregarding the activities of the library, establishing relationswith international cultural centers and libraries, organizingand

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managing conferences, exhibitions, visits, scientific competi-tions, evaluating the visitors ideas and opinions about the lib-rary andpreparing the monthly and annual statistics.

3 - Ceremonies and Reception Department:This department is in charge of welcoming and receiving theIranian and foreign guests, providing the necessary informa-tionregarding the library's different sections and departments,presenting gifts to the guests and so forth. Every seasonmore than 2000 guests visit the library which also includesmore than 200 high-ranking visitors and scholars from vari-ous countries.

4 - Secretariat Department:This department carries out all the internal and external cor-respondence duties.

5 - Women's Department:This department takes the responsibility of assisting womenresearchers and scholars to get access to scientific sourcesandreferences available in the grand library.

6 - Correspondence Department:This department has the responsibility to post, deliver or ex-change books to some organizations or individuals as ap-proved by the president of the library.

B - Public Services Division

This section is in charge of rendering services to the visitorsand researchers in the various halls and reading rooms ofthelibrary. It consists of:1 - Ibn Sina Hall: This hall occupies an area of 2200 sq.meters with 750 persons seating capacity. More than 2000persons visitthis hall daily during the morning and evening working

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hours.

2 - Exclusive Reading Hall for the Hawzah (Islamic Seminary)Books:

This hall is exclusively assigned for the study and research ofthe scholars and students of the Islamic seminaries.

3 - Khaja Nasir al-Din Tusi Auditorium:This auditorium has a seating capacity of 200 persons andvarious national and international seminars and symposiumsareconducted in this auditorium.

4 - Shaykh Mufid Hall:In this hall local conferences, seminars and academic ses-sions are regularly conducted.

5 - Book Exhibition Hall:In this hall the library's publications are displayed for the vis-itors.

C - Reference Section:

This department has the following divisions:

1 - Manuscripts Treasury:The manuscript copies present in the treasury till the end ofOctober, 2001 was more than 60,000 volumes comprising32,000titles of books. Sixty five percent of these manuscripts are inArabic and the rest of them are in Persian. A few Turkish,Urdu,Abyssinian, Syriac and Latin manuscripts are also available inthe treasury.

Every year about 500-800 other valuable and raremanuscripts are added to this great collection either gifted orprocured.The copies of the Holy Qur'an in Kufic script belonging to thesecond century Hijrah comprises the oldest copies preserved

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inthe manuscript treasury of the library. The manuscript copiesof third and fourth century Hijrah are also available and theoldestamong them is the illustrated copy of the Holy Qur'an calli-graphed in 392 A.H./ 1002 A.D., by Ali ibn Hilal Baghdadialso famous as Ibn Bawwab, the renowned calligraphist ofthe fourth century Hijrah.

Till now the catalogue of 12,000 manuscripts available in thelibrary has been published in 30 volumes. The complete cata-logueof the manuscripts of this grand library will be published in90 volumes series.

2 - Photographs of the Manuscripts:This section preserves more than 4000 photographed copiesof the priceless and valuable manuscripts obtained from thedifferent libraries in the world.

3 - Microfilm SectionIn this section the microfilms of more than 13000 raremanuscripts are available.

4 - Documents TreasuryThis section consists of more than one hundred thousandwritten documents belonging to the last five centuries.

5 - Permanent Exhibition of the Rare Manuscripts.

6 - Permanent Exhibition of the Books and Documents Writ-ten by the Founder of the Library.

7 - Rare Printed Books StoreSome of the rare printed books dating back to last five cen-turies are preserved in this store.

8 - Rare Petrography Store

9 - The Treasuries of Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Urdu

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Books.The treasuries of the books in the above- mentioned lan-guages are located in the three floors of this grand librarybuilding.

10 - Newspapers and Periodicals Section:In this section more than 2500 newspapers and periodicals inPersian, Arabic Turkish and Urdu are kept at the disposal ofthevisitors.

11 - Open Reference Book Store

12 - The Store of the Islamic Manuscripts' Catalogues of thedifferent libraries in the world.

13 - The Store of the Periodicals in Foreign Languages.

14 - The Archives of the Forbidden Books.

15 - The Store of Maps and Geographical Charts.

16 - The Store of the Extra Copies of the Printed Books.

17 - The Grand Reading Hall.

18 - The Special Section for the Research Scholars of theManuscripts and Rare Documents.

19 - The Centre for Qom Studies.

20 - The Centre for Genealogical Studies.

21 - The Centre for Preparing the Index and the Cataloguesofthe Manuscripts.

22 - The Centre for Publishing the Works of the Founder ofthe grand Library.

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23 - Islamic Manuscripts Edition and Research Department.

D - Administrative Department: It includes the financial, staffaffairs and training units.

E - Public Services Department:

It consists of eighteen different sections such as: ComputingServices, Telephone Exchange, Wireless Connections, Elec-tronic Mail (e-mail) Services, Publication and Distribution,Conducting Seminars and Exhibitions Affairs, Maintenance ofthe Guest Houses and Restaurants, Purchase and Excange ofBooks and Reference Materials, Photo Xerox, Office of Tech-nical Advisors, Mirath Shahab Journal Office, Finance Office,Translation Department, Management and Programming Of-fice, Library's Sub-divisions, Technical Support and BuildingSecurity Sections.

F - Book Information Research Centre

G - Manuscripts and Documents Preservation UnitThis unit includes the following sections: 1 - Book Preserva-tion Section: In this section books are fumigated and madefree from pests and termites 2 - Books and Documents Mend-ing Section: This section is the important and sensitive sec-tion of the library. 3 - Micrographic Centre: his centre pre-serves 50 million book titles in different languages in theform of minimized films. This section is also equipped withoptical cleaner which is in turn connected to internet throughcomputers. 4 - The Modern Laboratory: It is also equippedwith ultra-modern and sophisticated equipments such aselectronic microscopes which are connected to internetthrough computers.

H - Exquisite Objects Museum

It exhibits various types of valuable and exquisite com-passes,astrolabes, coins, keys etc

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I - The Centre of the Encyclopedia of the Libraries in theWorld.

Publications1 - Mirath Shahab Journal: A specialized journal in Persiandealing with the study of bibliography and its related sub-jects. The chief editor of this journal is Dr Mahmud Marashi,the President of the Grand Library. Till now 30 issues of thisjournal has been published.

2 - The Grand Library till the end of 2002 has published165 titles of books comprising 405 volumes.This grand library also enjoys the rare distinction of pre-

serving the largest collection of rare manuscripts in Iran andin this regard it also stands third in the Islamic world.

The library has also published the "Molhaqat Ihqaq al-Haqin 36 volumes written by Ayatullah al-Uzma Marashi al-Na-jafi(R.A.), the late founder of the grand library. In 1994, thisbook received the "Book of the Year Award" from the govern-ment of Iran.

The library's working hours for the visitors is from 7 A.Mtill 9.30 P.M., without any interval.The membership cards are provided free of cost to the re-

searchers, scholars and students by the secretariat of the lib-rary.The daily average number of visitors to the library is morethan 2000 visitors.

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Chapter 19Ayatullah Al-Uzama Mohammed Ali Araki -(1894 -1994)Birth 1894

Death 1994Age 100 yrs

Ayatullah Araki began his Hawza studies in Arak, and wasthe student of many prominent scholars during this time, in-cluding Syed Jaffer Sheeshi. For many years, he attended

the lessons of Ayatullah Al-Uzama Nurudin Araki and Ayatul-lah Haeri and gained a tremendous amount from them.

Ayatullah Haeri had a great fondness for Ayatullah Araki; itwas the aptitude and the genius of Ayatullah Araki that caughtthe late Ayatullah’s attention. It was at the recommendation

of Ayatullah Haeri that Ayatullah Araki became a Ruhani(this is when someone qualifies to wear the turban and therobe) and married someone from his own family.

His migration to Qom:

After studying for a number of years in the Hawza in Yazd,Ayatullah Araki followed Ayatullah Haeri to Qom, and contin-ued his Hawza studies under Ayatullah Haeri’s

guidance and supervision. It was also during this very periodthat Ayatullah Araki got to know Ayatullah Khomeini, and hadintense love for him.

After Imam Khomeini’s exile in the Iranian year 1341(approx. 1962 AD), Ayatullah Araki always used to support himand stuck picture upon picture of Imam Khomeini on

Khiyaban Iram (a main road in Qom passing the haram).When Ayatullah Araki was returning from Madressa Faiziya,

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and his eyes used to fall on the picture of the Imam, he usedtosay: “I swear that if the person on this picture was inKerbala,he would have become a martyr on the lap of ImamHussein

Β. When he used to go home and news of Imam Khomeini-used to be given to him, he used to cry a great deal. His tearswere tears of love for the late Imam Khomeini.’

Ayatullah Araki used to teach and put forth the most complexof subjects for over 35 years in the Hawza of Qom. He wasknown for not being repetitive and used to carefully choose hiswords that would be full of meaning.

After the death of Ayatullah Mohammed Taqi Khonsari,Ayatullah Araki received numerous requests from his (Ayatul-lah Khonsari’s) students to teach them Fiqh and Usul

at the Dars-e-Kharij level to which he obliged to. Many of theoutstanding and prominent teachers in the Hawza of Qom andthose in charge of the movement of the Islamic Revolution

were students of Ayatullah Araki for many years. During hisblessed life, Ayatullah Araki was also a Marja-e-Taqleed of theShias and wrote many books in the field of Fiqh and Usul.

He was also an Imam of the Friday Prayers.

AYATULLAH AL-U²MA AL-HAJJ ASH-SHAYKH‘AL« ARAK« was born in the early 1890’s, but the exact date isnot known due to the lack of appropriate birth records at thetime, in the Iranian city of Arak.

Following his preliminary religious studies, he demonstratedan aptitude to further his Islamic studies, and commented onthe scholarly book, ‘Urwatul Wuthqa some 48 years ago(1952). This is a book upon which all Mujtahidin comment assoon as they are recognized as an expert in independent theo-logical studies, according to their views. At the time of his re-view of ‘Urwatul Wuthqa, he was in the company of such greatleaders as Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma Khunsari, and others. Althoughhe was learned and a declared Mujtahid, following the demiseof Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Khusani and Ayatullahal-‘U¨ma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Mu¦ammad Hussein al-Burujerdi, hedid not openly declare his Marja’iyyah. He was one of ImamKhomeini’s teachers, having taught the Founder of the Islamic

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Republic the initial course of the Hawza entitled Jami’atulMuqaddamat. In other classes, he was a contemporary of thelate Imam.

Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajj ash-Shaykh ‘Ali Araki was a strongencouragement to the Islamic Republic, and requently guidedthe government whenever requested. Upon the demise ofAyatullah Khomeini, many of his Muqalladin followed AyatullahAraki. At the demise of the Grand Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajjash-Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoe’i (May Allah raise his rank),the Jamiatul Mudarrasin (Council of the Theological Schools) inQum declared in a communique, the top most Marja’ to beeither Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajj ash-Shaykh ‘Ali Araki or-Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Mu¦ammad Ri¤a al-Gulpaygani, preferring the later, and on December 10, 1993,following the departure of Ayatullah al-‘U¨ma al-Hajj as-SayyidMu¦ammad Ri¤a al-Gulpaygani fromthis mortal world, theCouncil declared the grand Ayatullah Araki to be the Marja’ forthe Shi’a world.

Ayatullah Araki, up until his death used to lead stu-dents of the Hawza Faiziyah in the congregational Salat. Histeaching was active right up to his hospitalization. The Presid-ent of the Council, Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini, in his Friday ser-mon on December 10, 1993, said that the Shaykh was “sincethe time of the late Shaikh ‘Abdul Karim Ha’iri (founder of theQum Theological Center), one of the most brilliant personalit-ies in the field of theology and religious sciences, and a friendamoung the Ulama…”

Ayatullah Y£suf Sana’i also of Qum said that the GrandAyatullah has “a high expertise in fiqh and its different topicsand also is skillful In manipulating the principle maxims of jur-isprudence.” As for his piety, Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli men-tioned in a statement that the Ayatullah protected his “soulfrom wordly desires and his obedience to the Sacred Existenceof the Master of the Seen and Unseen…”

The grand Ayatullah died on the 25th of Jumadi al-Akhar, 1994, one year to the day of the demise of Ayatullahal-‘U¨ma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Mu¦ammad Ri¤a al-Gulpaygani, andwas buried in Qum on Thursday the 27th of Jumadi al-Akhar.

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Chapter 20Grand Ayatullah Mohamed Taqi Behjat(R.A.) - (1915-2009)Biography & Studies

Grand Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Behjat Fumani wasborn into a religious and pious family in the year 1334AH(1915CE) in Fuman in North Iran. & returned back to his lordon 17 May 09 in Qom.He lost his mother before he was 2 years old. About his fath-er, Mahmood Behjat, family members relate an interestingevent.

When his father was around 16-17 years of age, he fell seri-ously ill and they thought he would not survive. When the rel-atives gathered around this young man, one of the family mem-bers heard a voice saying, “Do not worry, he will be fine, be-cause he is going to be the father of Muhammad Taqi.” Afterthis event, the youth soon recovered from his illness, got mar-ried a few years later and had several sons. He named histhird son Muhammad Taqi in memory of the event of his child-hood. However, in infancy, this child fell into a pond and wasdrowned. He had one more son after him, and he also namedhim Muhammad Taqi. This last son grew up to be the greatscholar and ‘arif, Ayatullah Behjat.

His father was a reciter of marsiyas and he would oftentake the young Agha Behjat with him to his recitals, thusinculcating in him a deep and abiding love for Sayyid al-Shuhada (A.S.).

From a young age he showed signs of genius and a greatthirst for acquiring knowledge. After his primary studies, hewent straight into religious studies, and at the age of 14, he

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moved to Kerbala. Four years later he came to the famousseminary of Najaf, where he had an opportunity to study undersome of the best teachers and scholars in the Muslimworld. He studied Usul under Grand Ayatullahs Abu’l HasanIsfahani, Mirza Na’ini and Shaykh Muhammad Hasan GharawiIsfahani (known as Kumpani), and Fiqh under Ayatullah MirzaMuhammad Taqi Shirazi. He studied the philosophical textsof Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadraunder Ayt. S. Hasan Badkubeyi.

At the same time as attending the intermediate and higherlevels of religious studies, he was very meticulous in his pur-suit of spiritual and mystical instruction. In this regard, histeachers were Ayatullah Muhammad Hasan Isfa-hani and Ayatullah Sayyid Abdu’l Ghaffar, and finally, theGodly scholar, the matchless instructor, the giant amongstspiritual masters, Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Qadhi Tabataba’i. Heremained with his last teacher for many years, learningfrom him the secrets of the higher paths of Akhlaq and‘Irfan.

15 years later, he returned to Iran and settled in Qum. Here,in the company of Ayatullah Khomeini, Ayatullah Gulpay-gani and other great future figures, he continued his studiesunder Grand Ayatullah Burujerdi.

His Character and Qualities

1. Piety and Self-BuildingFrom his youth, Agha Behjat was constantly engaged in self-

purification and self-building. In his ethical instructions, he al-ways insists that one should work hard at this task and foregoand abandon many luxuries in order to make headway againstthe endless demands of the soul.

He is of the opinion that in order to succeed inthis jihad al-akbar, ethical purity (akhlaq) and know-ledge (‘ilm) go hand in hand. In fact he considers know-ledge without self-purification, to be the more damagingthan anything else. His famous advice to youths is ‘toread and practise one hadithdaily from the Chapter

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of Jihad al-nafs in Wasail al-Shi’a of Shaykh Hurr al-Amili.[1]

By his deeds and words, this great scholar has always direc-ted himself to God alone. A great mujtahid has said aboutAgha Behjat, “It cannot be just said about him that he isa man of piety; in fact he is the true essence and mani-festation of taqw?a.”

Ayatullah Shaykh Javad Kerbalayi says about him, “One of hisclose students (in Najaf) reports that every night, or in fact atmost times, Agha Behjat sits alone, deep in thought and con-templation. He never wastes a moment of his time, anddoes not participate in vain gatherings. When the timecomes for his class, or his ziyarat of Amirul Mu’mineen (A), hegets up abruptly, puts on his cloak and leaves the housewithout interfering in the activities of others. He is extremelyreserved and does not like to reveal anything about him-self, especially about the special favours and extraordin-ary spiritual powers that God has granted him.”

2. His Asceticism (Zuhd) and Simple LifestyleThe close servants of God always look at the reality of this

world, contrary to other human beings whose eyes are fixed onits pleasures and luxuries. By foregoing material comforts, theyattain spiritual strength, and while the rest of the peoplestumble in this dark world, these awliya soar in the illuminatedheights in proximity to God.

Agha Behjat is one of the most glowing examples ofthese awliya in our times. He is a mystic and scholarwho has always lived a simple life, without the remotestmaterial attachments. He has understood more com-pletely than others the reality of this world and theworthlessness of its pleasures.

He lives in a simple, small and old house and has resisted themany offers from relatives and well-wishers to move to morecomfortable accommodation. Ayatullah Misbah says, “Formany years, he has lived in a rented house with two rooms.

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One of the rooms has a curtain, which he would draw when wewould visit him. On the other side of the curtain his familywould carry on with their household chores. We would sit onone side of this curtain and benefit greatly from his wisdom. Al-though simple, the atmosphere was always full of a spe-cial nur and spirituality…”

Ayatullah Mas’udi says, “Many times people would sin-cerely offer to purchase a better house for him, but hewould not agree. I myself told him, “Agha! This house isdamaged, I doubt if even the sharia allows for a man tolive in this sort of accommodation!”, but he would notpay any attention.”.

3. His WorshipAgha Behjat’s students report that he has a special closeness

to God, that is immediately evident in his manner of wor-ship. Those who have prayed behind him have describedit ‘as a spiritually uplifting and unique experience’. Infact, the Fatimiyyah mosque at the end of the Guzarkhan mar-ket, where he has led prayers three times a day for the last 40years, is always full at prayer time. High ranking scholarsmake a special effort to come and pray behind him. AllamahTabataba’i would come here to pray. Almost as soon asAgha Behjat begins his prayer, tears flow from his eyes -frequently he has to pause because his voice is chokedwith emotion - such is his awe in God’s presence.

One of the scholars remarks, “In the early days, Agha Behjatwould go to the undeveloped part of Qum, past some farms,and recite his evening prayers with some companions in thatremote location. One day, after the maghribain prayers,he commented, “If only the kings of this world realisedhow much pleasure a servant experiences in worship,they would never even glance at the worldly delights…”

Ayatullah Shaykh Javad Kerbalayi says, “Agha Behjat nevermisses his late night prayers (namaze-shab) and spendsa long time weeping in the middle of the night, especiallyon the night preceding Friday.”

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A scholar reports, “I came upon him one Thurday night inMadressay-e-Sayyid in Najaf. I saw him weeping and crying inprostration. He was repeating in a broken voice over andover, “Ilahi! Man li ghayruk, asaluhu kashfa dhurri, wan-nazara fi amri?! (My Lord! Who have I got besides You,Who I can ask for relief and support?)”.

4. His Ziyarat and Tawassul (Saluting the Ahlul Bayt(A.S.)

Despite his advanced years, the daily routine of Agha Behjathas remained unchanged. Early every morning (exactly at7.00am), he presents himself at the shrine of LadyFatima Masuma (A.S.) to pay his respects and send sa-lutations. With the greatest of humility, he stands nearher Zarih, and recites the Ziyarate Ashura of Imam Hu-sain (A.S.).

Sayyid Muhammad Husein Tehrani, in his book, Anwar al-Malakut, quotes Ayatullah Shaykh Abbas Quchani, the greatscholar and spiritual successor of the famous Mirza Ali QadhiTabataba’i, as narrating: “While he was in Najaf, Agha Behjatwould often go to Masjid-e Sahlah and spend whole nightsalone there in worship and contemplation. On one very darknight, when the lights in the mosque were not lit either, heneeded to go out to refresh his wudhu.

He went out of the mosque towards the wudhu area to theeast of the mosque. Suddenly he experienced some anxietyand fear, perhaps due to the total darkness. Immediately, alight appeared next to him, by which he could clearly see hisway. This light accompanied him while he went out,made wudhu and returned to his place in the mosque. Then itdisappeared.”.

5. His humblenessOne of his noticeable traits is his humbleness and sim-

plicity, despite his fame and status as a leading contem-porary scholar and jurist. For many years he had refusedto print his religious edicts (tawdhih al-masail) and heonly agreed after much pressure. When he is scheduled

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to lecture he requests that his name not be mentioned asthe lecturer.

A scholar reports, “Once I went with my guest, Shaykh Nas-rullah Lahuthi, to visit Agha Behjat. Agha Lahuthi said to histeacher, “Agha! I was in Mashhad and someone was criticisingyou, and I became very annoyed.” Agha Behjat responded,“We have reports in the ahadith, that if a scholar paystoo much attention to worldly matters, then he will becriticized by others.” I remember thinking, “If the way AghaBehjat lives is called “paying too much attention to worldlymatters”, then what about us!”

6. His Mystical Wayfaring (sayr wa suluk) and his Spir-itual Station

Ayatullah Behjat has many decades of experience inmystical wayfaring, the special journey through estab-lished stations that the soul undertakes to attain proxim-ity to God. He is one of the outstanding pupils of the greatmaster, Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Qadhi Tabataba’i and had re-ceived special instructions from his teacher. Even as a youth,he had passed many stations of the spiritual path.

His elevated rank in these matters is well known byothers who travel this path; immediately after the revolu-tion, one of the first scholars thatAyatullah Khomeini vis-ited was Ayatullah Behjat in Qum. Similarly,when Ayatullah Khamene’i assumed the position of Rah-bar, he first came to Agha Behjat in Qum for spiritualinstructions.

7. His Awareness of the Unseen (Ghayb) and his Won-drous Acts (Karamat)

Unlike the majority of men, who have no idea of the ex-istence or happenings of the unseen world, Ayatullah Be-hjat has reached a station, by the grace of God, where hefrequently witnesses the events that occur in that world.

In fact, a reminder of this ability is his constant repetition ofthe Divine name “al-Sattaar” - the Concealer.This dhikr and tasbih is constantly on Agha Behjat’s lips,

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whether he is walking or sitting. Ayatullah Misbah Yazdisays in this regard, “It seems that he is at the level wherehe witnesses many things from ghayb. Often he is awareof the real nature and inner secrets of those who sitaround him, and he invokes God, who is the Concealer of de-fects - al-Sattaar al-‘Uyub, so that the secrets of the peoplearound him may be concealed from him.”

This is usually the way of these close servants of God. Theirhumbleness is such that they would not like to display any-thing, or do anything, that will bring about even a trace ofpride in themselves. And in return for their utter humility, Godgrants them even greater insight and status.

There is no doubt in the minds of those who know Agha Be-hjat well, that he is one of those for whom many secrets are re-vealed. Ayatullah Misbah says in this regard, “Those whohave been around him for many years have seen thingsthat he has done or said that are truly extraordinary. Hesometimes says something that seems quite normal, but onlater contemplation, one realises that it was due to some spe-cial knowledge that he possessed.

For example, when Imam Khomeini was in exile in Turkey,many of his students would make statements in his defenceand get into trouble with the government. They would be im-prisoned and frequently tortured. I remember distinctlywhen Agha Jannati was captured and no one knew where hehad been taken. I mentioned it to Agha Behjat, who said, “In-shallah, you will soon inform me of his release.” Ofcourse, some might say this was just a prayer, but in fact, hedid not make such statements about every prisoner. Manytimes we would say, “pray for so and so,” but he would remainsilent. Just as he had promised, Agha Jannati was releasedsoon without having been hurt.”

One of his students says, “My wife was expecting achild. It was the month of Ramadhan, and I wanted to goon a journey, so I came to Agha Behjat to say good-bye. He turned to me and said, “In this month, you

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will be blessed with a baby boy, name him Muhammad Has-an.” This is exactly what transpired.” There are many suchepisodes that people have related about their encounters withAgha Behjat.

Agha Behjat himself dislikes a lot of fuss made about theseepisodes but his students occasionally narrate them sothe mu’mineen may realise that there exist in our times certainindividuals, to whom God has granted special favours.

Certainly, for the one who sincerely strives in God’s way,then He Himself becomes their guide, “And (as for) thosewho strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide themin Our ways. (Ankabut, 29/69)”

Drinking from the Fountain of the Wisdom of AyatullahBehjat

In this section we will examine several examples of the ad-vice and replies of Agha Behjat to questions about differentmatters.

1. How to counter and cure riya (showing off or tryingto impress others while engaged in acts of worship)

A student in the Hawza of Qum relates that Agha Behjat wasonce asked, “Sometimes a person decides to perform a virtu-ous act sincerely for God, but Shaytan converts his intentionand the person starts to think instead about how people will beimpressed, how he will become popular, etc., when he per-forms the act. Are these thoughts counted as riya, and do theynullify his virtuous act and make it worthless?”

Agha Behjat stated in reply, “Riya is only relevant in acts ofworship (‘ibadat). And any act of worship that has riya associ-ated with it is a sin, and it makes the act null and void.

However, riya itself can become a counter and cure for riya,by simply changing the focus of who one is trying to impress! Ifa man can approach a president to sort out his problem dir-ectly, would he waste time in trying to convince the president’s

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servants? In the same manner, if a man has sense, he wouldraise his sights from the people, and attempt to impress andperfect his actions for God, who is the Creator of man - this at-titude would itself become the cure for his riya.”

At another time, he said, “About riya, there is a hadith thatsays, “Whoever tries to impress the people by his manner ofprayers (salat), will be resurrected in the form of a don-key.” And this is quite true because what can be more donkey-like than a man trying to impress the slaves of God instead ofdirecting his attention to God Himself?! Now, if someone callsus a donkey, we feel insulted, but why should we feel insulted,if night and day our acts resemble those of a donkey?”

2. The conditions necessary to obtain presence of heartand pleasure from acts of worship, especially salat.

One of his students says that Agha Behjat was asked, “Ourlives have passed away and we still have not experiencedpleasure (halaawa, lazzat) from our worship, especially salat.What is your advice so that we can taste some of the pleasuresthat our infallible leaders (A) have described?”

The esteemed master replied, “This is something that wewould all like to experience!” The student replied, “Please,Agha, you have a high status in these matters, while we areempty-handed. What should we do?” Agha Behjat again gave amodest reply, saying, “Perhaps your own status is one that Ienvy…”.

However, the student was insistent, and so Agha Behjatreplied, “This pleasure that you seek in worship has two pre-requisites; one outside salat, and one withinsalat itself. What isnecessary before salat and outside of it is that a person ab-stains totally from sin, and does not blacken his heart with thedisgrace of disobedience, because sin will rob his heart oflight. As for the second requirement, within the salat itself aman must create a barrier around himself so that no thoughtother than the remembrance of God can enter. He must not al-low his thoughts to stray away from God even for an instant.[In this manner, you will achieve what you seek.]”

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To another scholar who asked a similar question, he respon-ded, “In order to achieve absolute control of one’s thoughtsin salat, and to acquire presence of heart, the groundworkmust begin outside and prior to salat. One must control one’sfives senses during the day and be careful about what he al-lows himself to observe, hear, eat etc. This will enable him toachieve presence of mind and heart in salat.”

To a young student, he said in reply to the same question,“Never knowingly let you thoughts drift away from Godin salat.”

3 Sincere intention and harmony between knowledgeand action

He was asked by a scholar:“Agha, what should we bear in mind so that our intention in

wearing the amamah (turban) is sincere?”

He replied:“Your criterion in your acts must be Allah swt’s reli-

gion. Always ask yourself whether your words and deedsconform with the shari’a or not. You should makethe niyyat that the knowledge (‘ilm) that you possess and willgain in the future, will always be translated into actions. Inother words, there should be perfect harmony betweenwhat you know and what you do. The greatest misfortune iswhen scholars act without proper knowledge or possess know-ledge but do not act upon it. So make a firm resolve thatyour knowledge and actions will be harmonious.”

Another student reports that Agha said to him about thesame matter:

“An ‘alim who does not act on his knowledge is like thecandle that illuminates the path for others but itselfburns away.”

4. Trust and reliance on Allah swt

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Ayatullah Misbah narrates that Agha Behjat once said to him:“One day I was sitting in my room and could hear the voices

in the street outside. I went out and saw that my neighbour’sson was playing in the street when a beggar approached himsaying, “I am a needy person. Can you please go into yourhouse and get something for me?”

The boy replied, “Why don’t you ask your mother if you wantsomething?” The beggar said, “I don’t have a mother. You goand ask your mother to give me something.”

Agha Behjat remarked, “I was struck by this conversationand the innocence of the child who had so much trust and faithin his mother that he felt that she could solve any prob-lem. And then he said, ‘If only we could develop the sameabsolute trust and reliance on Allah swt that this childhad in his mother. Indeed all our problems would besolved if only we sincerely turned to Him for all ourneeds!”

5. If we constantly think of Imam-eZamana (A.S.),wouldhe not think of us?

Agha Quddus recalls that he once asked Agha Behjat:“My presence in the village where I have gone

for tableegh was very productive. The people have respondedpositively, treated me with respect and heeded my religiousadvice.

However, they are very poor and the money that they giveme in the months of Muharram and Ramadhan is very little. Inother places where I can go, the public is not so receptive, butthey pay more.”

Agha Behjat replied, “If you make an intention to enterinto the employment of Imam Mahdi (A.S.), do you ima-gine that he will not look after you?”

6. Care in narrating traditions

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Agha Quddus narrates that once he was recounting his pro-gram and tableeghi activities performed during the month ofRamadhan to Agha Behjat and he said:

“I do not go on the pulpit in the day time in the month of Ra-madhan and only deliver my talks and lectures at night.”

Agha Behjat asked him why, and he replied, “Because I havesome doubts about certain ahadith that I recite and I am afraidthat if they are incorrect [then my fasts will become invalid].”

Agha Behjat stated: “Then at night are you certain aboutthese traditions that you feel confident in repeating them?”

Agha Quddus says: “I realised that he disapproved of myactions and was advising me to be certain of the facts be-fore I repeated them to others.”

7. Tabligh by Action (and not only words)

Hujjatu’l Islam Lutfi says: “One day, after the morningprayers I approached Ayat. Behjat and requested him to giveme some advice”.

He said, “kunu du’atan nasi ilallahi bighayri alsin-atikum” [2]“Call people to Allah swt with something otherthan your speech.”

I understood that although as a scholar, my responsibilitywas to engage in tabligh (propagating the faith), Agha wantedto draw my attention that the best tablighwas not thatwhich was delivered from pulpits, but that which wasdemonstrated by conduct.

8. Staying away from Sin

Ayat. Shaykh Jawad Kerbalai, the great scholar of akh-laq remarks:

“I had a great benefit from the many years that I studied un-der Ayat. Behjat. In that time I also witnessed first-hand manyof the wondrous gifts that he has been granted. Among hiswords of wisdom I recall:

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He always insisted that no progress could be made withoutabandoning sin. He used to say, “The great and specialbounties of Allah are available freely to all His true ser-vants, the only requirement is that a person has to quali-fy for these gifts. The only way to qualify for these spe-cial favours is by abandoning the disobedience of Allahswt.

Of course, there must be some commitment to attain proxim-ity to Allah swt as well. The more a person knows the station ofGod (attains ma’rifat) and the more he loves Him, the more im-portant it is to avoid every sin, even minor ones and even lossof concentration in His presence in worship.

It is because some servants reach this stage of proximity thatit is said, “hasanaatu’l abrar, sayyiatu’l muqarrabeen”, or “thevirtuous acts of the righteous people are (only) ordinary actsfor the close servants”.”

Once a student who had only recently joinedthe hawza asked Ayat Behjat:

“I have come to the hawza to attain knowledge. What shouldI do so that I can become a proper scholar?”

Ayat. Behjat lowered his head and remained silent for awhile, then he said, “There is no difference betweena hawza student and anybody else. What is important isthat he does not commit a sin.”

On another occasion he was asked:“What is thebest dhikr (invocation)?” He replied, “In the opinion of thissimple servant, the best dhikr is the dhikr of action! What Imean is refraining from sinful beliefs (aqida) and sinfulconduct (‘amal). Goodness and true success will only comefrom this way.”

In a letter, he was asked how one could attain proximityto God and also gain closeness to His khalifah, the Imamof our time (AF).

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He replied: “Bismihi ta’ala. Refrain from sin and praythe salat at the exact time.”

9. The Secret of Salaat

Ayat Behjat has said:“Namaz (Salaat) symbolizes the Ka’ba. The Takbirarut’l

Ihram stands for casting aside everything other than Allah swtand entering His haram (sanctuary). TheQiyam represents aconversation between two friends. The Ruku’ symbolizes thebowing of a slave in front of his master and the Sajdah is theultimate display of lowliness, humility and helplessness in frontof the Master. And when the slave returns from sucha Namaz, the souvenir he brings back is the greeting ofpeace (salaam) from his Lord…”

10. Staying Awake at Dawn (Sahr) and in the Night

Ayat. Ahmadi says:“Ayat Behjat always advised us to stay awake in wor-

ship between dawn and sunrise and to rise in the nightfor prayer, (Namaz-e-Tahajjud/Salaatul Layl). He evensaid, “I actually believe that it was through these very two actsthat the Prophet (S) acquired his perfect gnosis (ma’rifat) of Al-lah swt.”

Once I asked him about the hadith of the Imams (A.S.)that “We eagerly await Thursday nights so that the gatesof Allah’s mercy are opened. We, the family of the Proph-et (SAWW), are blessed with an increase in our know-ledge on every Thursday night and every night of Qadr.”

Ayt. Behjat replied: “Indeed, these are special times whenthe mercy of Allah swt is especially available. And one of thebest of times is the sahr (dawn). And he repeated thesewords “sahr, sahr” several times.”

Ayat. Behjat relates from his teachers that wheneverthey desired to receive greater favour and understandingfrom Allah swt, they would take advantage of the

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solitude, peace and abundant blessings that is availablein the depths of the night and at dawn. At these times,one can form a connection with God that is not easilypossible at other times.

11. The First Steps in the Journey to God (Sayr Ilallah)

Ayat Behjat has said:“The first step in the journey towards God and in attaining

His proximity is for a servant to realise that he has allowed agulf to form between himself and his Master. He must ensureat all costs that he does not allow this gulf to widen and thismust be his first goal. When he has put that control in place,then he may begin the practices that will gradually draw himcloser and closer to his Lord.”

12. The Value of Contemplation and Thought

Agha Shahi remarks:“Ayat Behjat is constantly stressing the importance of con-

trolling one’s tongue and maintaining silence. He would say,“We must control our speech. We should spend 23 hours of theday in contemplation and thought, and only one hour inspeech; in fact, often even that is too much.

13. Being in a State of Constant Dhikr

Ayt. Behjat often advises his students to inculcate thehabit of being da’im al-dhikr, i.e. remaining in constant re-membrance of Allah swt. He has said,“Someone who is con-stantly in dhikr, will always perceive himself in the pres-ence of Allah swt and will be continuously communicat-ing with Him.”

For those who want to combat waswasa, (constant suspicionof the motives of others), he recommends highly to continuallyrecite the “tahlil”, which is the dhikr,“La Ilaha Illallah”.

Another great contemporary scholar, Ayt. Hasan Hasanza-deh Amuli has remarked that tahlil is al-dhikr-al-

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khafi (secret dhikr); i.e. it can be constantly repeatedwithout anyone else being aware of what you are doing, be-cause this dhikr can be pronounced without even moving thelips, unlike other dhikrs like “Subhanallah” or Alhamdulillah”!

14. Not Considering one’s own Virtuous Deeds as‘Significant’

Ustad Khusrushahi relates: Ayt. Behjat always considersthe virtuous deeds and the worship that he performs asinsufficient.

He often says, “How good it would be that when a personperforms virtuous deeds and acts of worship, he says tohimself, “I have done nothing great”,but when he seesthe virtuous acts of others, he admires them, think-ing, “what a noble deed they have performed.”

The Ustad concludes, “In other words, his advice is to con-sider one’s own virtuous acts as insignificant, while re-garding highly the good deeds of others.”

15. Getting the Seal of Approval of Imam al-Asr (AF)

Ayt Behjat once advised the students of hawza: “We stu-dents should constantly be thinking about how we can earn theseal of approval of our master, the Wali al-Asr (AF).

All students, whether junior or graduates or preachers,should be concerned about how they learn their lessons, whatshould their attitude be and how they should conductthemselves.

They should continually ask themselves if their atti-tude, conduct, speech and actions would please theirmaster when they are presented to him and would he ap-prove of them.

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Ayt. Behjat says that: “If this thought is always at the backof our minds, we will never stray in our conduct, speech ordeeds.”

16. The Purpose of Higher Islamic Studies

Ayt. Behjat greatly encourages students who are pursuinghigher Islamic studies and frequently advises junior studentsalso by saying, “Whenever you learn something new, im-mediately apply this knowledge to improveyour wajib acts and to help you in staying away from sin-ful acts. He would remind them of the hadith, “man ‘amilabima ‘alima, warrathahu’llahu ‘ilma ma la ya’lam”, whoeveracts on what he knows, Allah swt will teach him what hedoes not know.[3]

17. It is the Proximity to Allah swt that matter in theend

To senior students, his words are more thought provok-ing. One of his students recalls, “I remember once when I wasaccompanying him from his house to the mosque where he ledthe prayers. Ayt Behjat turned to me and asked: “A stu-dent starts with “muqaddamat” (introductory lessons) and thenstudies the “ma’alim” and “mughni” and then where does hego next?” I said, “lum’ah”. He asked, “then what?” I said,“makasib”. He asked, “then what?” I said, “kifayah”. Heasked, “then what?” I said, “Dars al-kharij”. He asked, “thenwhat?” I said, “He attains ijtihad”. Once again, he asked,“then what?”

The student continues, “This was a great lesson to me. Irealised that knowledge itself was not the goal; it wasonly the means (to achieve the goal) i.e. to gain the prox-imity of Allah swt. If at every one of these successivestages, the student did not achieve even a little moreproximity to Allah swt, then he has not progressed muchat all.”

18. How to Train one’s Soul (Tahdhib al-Nafs)

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Once, some hawza students from Lebanon requested Ayt.Behjat for spiritual and akhlaqi (moral) advice. Hereplied: “One of the most beneficial actions in these mat-ters is to sit with your fellow students every day andstudy one hadith from the chapter jihad al-nafs of thebook Wasail al-Shi’a of Shaykh Hurr al-Amili. [4]Ofcourse, the hadith must be discussed properly, ponderedover carefully and then transformed into action. This willbe a spiritual tonic that within one year, will transforman individual in a way that he will himself see thechange.”

19. The Status of Supplication (Du’a)

Ayt. Behjat believes that du’a has a very great status and in-sists that du’a governs the outcome of every stage of ourlives.

Ustad Hadawi relates: “My daughter was very ill and Icame to Ayt. Behjat and asked him to pray for her. He told me,“You yourself recite the following du’athree times everyday: “Allahumma ishfiha bi shifaa-ika, wa daawiha bi dawaa-ika, wa ‘aafiha bi ‘aafiyatik” “O Allah, cure her with Yourcure, and treat her with Your medicine, and restore herhealth with Your strength”. Then, after the third timesay: “Bi’l Imami’l-Kazim (A.S.), fa innaha amatuka wa bintu‘abdik”. “By the sake of Imam al-Kazim (A.S.), for she isyour servant, and the daughter of your servant.”

And this concludes the section on this great scholarand close servant of Allah swt (may Allah swt prolong hislife, Ameen).

Condensed from “Bargi az Daftar-e Aftaab”, A Leaffrom the Book of Radiance (About the Life of AyatullahBehjat). AJ260106.

[1] This is now translated into English as Combat with theSelf, available from ICAS Press.

[2][1] Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 77 - quoting imam al-Sadiq (A).

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[3] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 189.[4] This chapter has been translated into English and is avail-able from the Islamic College for Advanced Studies (ICAS)

Press, London.

=========================================================================================Uswat al-Aarifeen - A Look at the Life of Ayatullah

Bahjat by YasinJibouri Download entire 10 chapters Word zip file

A summary of what has been written about the great gnosticAyatullah Bahjat. It includes anecdotes from his life, his teach-ings and the views of others.

http://al-islam.org/action.php?action=go&id=15448

INTRODUCTIONPraise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Praise to Allah

Who sent, from the gardens of His Mercy, trustees: messen-gers to guide people to the straight path. Then He made Imam-ate and Wilayat a fountainhead from which thirsty souls drink.Then He granted, from the mountain of His generosity, abund-ance of fiqh after the absence of His greatest wali (as) so therighteous remnant from among the seekers of the truth mayquench their thirst from it.

Since that day, hundreds of years have passed. Dur-ing them, many divine theologians came and went by; each oneof them was like a torch that lit the path for those who tread it.Some of them earned fame, their name became prominent,whereas some of them remained unknown across thesecenturies.

As regarding the creed's faqihs, they had another pullwhen they mixed biographies in the fiqh-related views with theconduct in the worlds of the unknown.

Our contemporary faqih, Ayatollah Bahjat, is one ofthose described by Imam Ali (as) in these words: "Great is theCreator in their hearts, so everything besides Him is in theireyes small." He is a great wise man. The light of his presenceglitters in the gathering of the Gnostics, and the souls in hisrevered audience shine. His student, mentor Rida Baqi Zadeh,author of Bergi az Daftar Aftab, says the following in the

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introduction to this book: "Since the day when breezes fromthe loved one blew upon me, when the flower of existenceopened, and I was guided to the full truth in the self, wheresuccess is achieved through pulls of the Lord, I realized thatreaching the real loved one cannot be achieved except throughguidance from one who is familiar with the path. I, therefore,resorted to the Imams (as) so I could uphold them and plead tothem. It is then that this sacred tradition met me on the road:'Keep company with those whose company reminds you of Al-lah and whose logic increases your knowledge.' And thus itwas. I upheld the fact that the adored One does not leave thosewho seek His path alone or lets them rely on themselves. Theearth is never without divine guides. I was looking for a rolemodel that guides me to the path of the loved One during theabsence of the sun of the Household of Inspiration (as) so Icould, through seeing him, polish the dust away from the heartand fuse myself through remembrance of the loved One into allexistence. During this time, I saw all of that and more. I saw itmanifesting itself in the personality of one who is unique in histime, a wise Gnostic, one who drowns his soul into the remem-brance of the loved One, who is the light of the hearts of theseekers, the joy of the Gnostics, the perfect Gnostic, the Sal-man of the time, the one who is truly loyal to the greatestAyatollah, the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abu Talib (as)in his knowledge and practice, namely Ayatollah MuhammedTaqi Bahjat, may Allah prolong his wide shade. I knew that thetruth Gnostic is not known except by Allah or by a Gnostic likehim, so I kept earnestly looking for everyone who could havebreathed a fragrance of his holy breath, and about any writtentext from which the fragrance of his holy soul emanates, hencethis book that is in your hands, dear reader, my final mer-chandise, having braved many hardships. I present it to thosewho seek the role model in the pure branches of knowledge.

"So, the study of biographies of such great men caninstill hope for lighting the minds of men of virtue, scholars,students, professors of the hawza (religious seminary), uni-versities and the sons of the nation. The book in your hands,dear reader, is the summary of what has been written and saidabout this great divine Gnostic. In it, I try to acquaint the Arabreader with this Islamic personality that mixed between the

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pursuit of knowledge and disseminating it as well as walkingalong the path of Allah. He is described by imam Khomeini asone "… who enjoys the ability for 'death by choice'; in otherwords, he can extract his soul from his body then returns it anytime he wants. This is regarded as one of the lofty stations theGnostics can reach along the trip to the path and the Gnosticconduct."

CHAPTER ONE

Glimpses of the Life of Grand Ayatollah BahjatGrand Ayatollah Muhammed Taqi Bahjat Fomani was born in

late 1334 A.H. to a God-fearing family well known for its pietyin the conservative city of Foman in the Gailan governorate. Hewas not yet sixteen months old when fate claimed his motherso he would taste the bitterness of being an orphan while still asuckling baby. There is an interesting incident to narrate aboutwhy Ayatollah Bahjat was named "Muhammed Taqi" which wasnarrated by one of those close to him, and I think that narrat-ing it here is not without a nicety:

The father of Sheikh Bahjat passed away while hisson was 16 – 17 of age after falling sick to an epidemic. Hebecame bed-ridden, and his condition of his health deterioratedto the extent that his family lost hope for his recovery from thedisease. The father of the sheikh narrates that he heard in thisstate a call as if it was saying, "Leave him! You have nothing todo with him. He is father of Muhammed Taqi".

Then he lost consciousness as he was in that state, somuch so that his mother thought he died. But after a shortwhile, the father of the sheikh woke up and stood up and afterthat recovered his health fully.

After the passage of a few years, the sheikh's fatherdecided to get married after having completely forgotten theincident of his falling sick and the call which he then heard.When he was blessed with his first son, he called him "Mehdi"after his own father (grandfather of Sheikh Bahjat). After thathe was blessed with a daughter then with a son whom henamed "Muhammed Hussain". He did not remember this incid-ent except after he had been blessed with his fourth son; so, hedecided to call him "Muhammed Taqi". But this son fell in a wa-ter pool and drowned. The father of the sheikh again named his

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fifth son with whom Allah blessed him with this same name,"Muhammed Taqi", which later became Grand AyatollahBahjat.

Yes, indeed, Ayatollah Bahjat was reared in the laps of a manwhose heart was filled with the warmth of loving Ahl al-Bayt(as) and grief for their tragedies, particularly the tragedies ofAbu Abdullah (as). He grew up in the environments of themourning majalis for Imam al-Hussain, drinking of theirsprings. Since his early life, he avoided playing and having funlike other children. The signs of genius showed on him, and hisface was painted with the marks of conviction and uprightness.It was obvious this child would have a glorious future in thefield of knowledge and attainment.

He finished his elementary studies at the city's traditionalstudy circles (known as katatib), then he started his theologicalstudies in the same city. Anyhow, his soul, that was thirsty forperfection, did not quench its thirst by what he had received ofbranches of knowledge in Foman; therefore, he left it after hav-ing finished the preparatory stage of religious sciences in itand left for Iraq where he was honored by residing in sacredKerbala in 1348. He was then almost fourteen.

According to what was transmitted by one of his close stu-dents, His Holiness mentor Bahjat had told him that he hadcome of age and became a man of responsibility one year afterhis stay in Kerbala. Yes, the hand of the divine mercy remainscaring for the righteous servants since their birth up to theiryouth, the lights of love and kindness being compassionate tothem so they would become in the future torches emitting lightalong the path of those who seek the most Kind One, the mostExalted, the most Great.

Thus, Ayatollah Bahjat spent four of his honorablelifespan in sacred Kerbala, inhaling the closeness to Abu Ab-dullah (as), the fragrance of the purity of his soul, cultivatinghimself thereby. During that period, he studied the largest por-tion of the books of fiqh and usool taught to him by the greatscholars in that holy city.

In 1352 A.H., he went to Najaf al-Ashraf to continuehis studies and acquire the theological branches of knowledge.

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He attended the courses of the Sutoohstage [an equivalent to astudy for a Master's degree] under the tutelage of a number ofAyatollahs including Ayatollah mentor Murtada Taleqani. Des-pite that, his determination was not confined to continuing hisstudies but he focused most of his attention on looking for themen of Allah, His righteous servants, so he could satisfy histhirst from their fountainhead, the thirst of his soul which waseager to turn the phases of perfection and reach the most sub-lime objective.

One of the students of the mentor says the following:"During two years which I spent under the pulpit of his lessons,I never heard him talk about himself except on very rare occa-sions. One of those occasions is that he talked about the pro-cess of lauding the moral status of his mentor, Naeeni the crit-ic. He said, 'I used to participate during my young days in thecongregational prayer services led by our mentor, al-Naeeni,and I sometimes used to realize some of his spiritual conditionsduring the prayers.'"

IN THE COURTYARD OF THE GENIUSESOF FIQH AND USOOL

Having completed the Sutooh stage and realized the lessonsof great professors, such as Sayyid Abul-Hassan al-Isfahani,Agha Mirza al-Naeeni, he entered in the courtyard of know-ledge and virtue so he could complete his higher studies at thehands of the great `allama al-Hajj Sheikh Muhammad Hussainal-Gharawi al-Isfahani who is known as al-Kampani. Throughhis piercing intellect and sound judgment, he was able to fol-low the waves of deep intellectual waves and precise pursuitswhich `allama al-Kampani used to dictate to his studentsthrough his swift and roving intellect, seeking help from Allah,relying on Him, the most Great One, the most Sublime.

Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Musbah says the following inthis regard, "Ayatollah Bahjat studied most of his fiqh with thelate Sheikh Muhammad Kazim al-Shirazi, student of the lateMirza Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi, who is one of the prominentprofessors of al-Najaf al-Ashraf. He started studying the Usoolat the hands of the late Naeeni and finished the greatest por-tion in the presence of the late Sheikh Muhammad Hussain al-

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Kampani al-Isfahani whether in the science of Usool or in otheraspects and dimensions."

BIOGRAPHIES, CONDUCT AND GNOSTICISMDuring his studies, and shortly before reaching adolescence,

Ayatollah Bahjat paid attention to self-cultivation and moralperfection. He, therefore, kept since residing in Kerbala look-ing for a professor of manners to embrace and cultivate him.He heard about Ayatollah Sayyid al-Qadi being in Najaf al-Ashraf, so he felt honored to reside in this city so he could beinspired in manners by keeping company with his prominentmentor, the late al-Hajj Sheikh Muhammad Hussain al-Isfahanial-Kampani.

Sheikh Musbah al-Yazdi says the following in this re-gard: "The impact of the late Sheikh Muhammad Hussain al-Is-fahani was obvious on the conduct of the mentor, AyatollahBahjat. He used to quote some of his pursuits with admiration.We used to see samples of his conduct which reminded us ofhis citing the mentor. It was quite obvious that this mentor hada great impact on building his moral character."

The mentor also attended lessons in manners bySayyid Abd al-Ghaffar in al-Najaf al-Ashraf before beingtutored by the spiritual scholar and famous Gnostic, His Holi-ness Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Qadi, may Allah Almighty bepleased with him. He started his studies with him and drank ofthe spring of his niceties and care when he was eighteen ofage; therefore, the mentor took long strides in the stages ofGnosticism even when he was in the prime of his youth.

Sheikh Musban al-Yazdi says the following: "Thementor benefited from his being in the presence of the late al-Hajj Mirza Ali al-Qadi in as far as manners and morals are con-cerned and directly, and he was tutored by him for long years.Ayatollah al-Qadi was specialist in cultivating persons morally.Each of the late`allama Tabatabai, the late Ayatollah SheikhMuhammad Taqi al-Amuli and the late Ayatollah Sheikh AliMuhammad Burujardi as well as a large number of other greatmen of knowledge and even some religious authorities from hislessons in manners and Gnosticism."

Ayatollah Bahjat quotes some pursuits from other in-dividuals such as Ayatollah Sheikh Murtada Taleqani. He says,

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"During those days, someone was trying to find out the numberof those who were committed to reciting the supplication byAbu Hamzah al-Thumali during the qunoot of the witr prayerrite during the eves of the month of Ramadan and in the shrineof Imam Ali, peace be with him. When this person made acount of these individuals, he found out their number exceed-ing seventy men. The number of people who were committedto rituals and to spirituality at that time was a lot more than itis in our time, and this is regrettable. Of course, we do notknow the unknown. Perhaps people undertake these forms ofworship at their homes nowadays, but we can say for sure thatthe commitment for acts of adoration has seen a decline in ourtimes. This is quite regrettable, indeed."

In his memoirs, one of the students of Bahjat thementor has written the following: "Someone heard that morethan seventy men were reciting the supplication by AbuHamzah al-Thumali in their witr prayer and in the shrine ofImam Ali, peace be with him, so he decided to verify the num-ber of those who have committed themselves to so doing dur-ing his time. He found out that their number did not exceedfifty men, as I remember, and the person speaking was theTehrani."

PHILOSOPHYAyatollah Bahjat studied the signals of Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

and the travels of the most highly spiritual persons with pro-fessor Ayatollah Sayyid Hussain Baduba-Ay.

MIGRATION TO HOLY QUMAyatollah Bahjat return to his homeland, Foman, after having

completed his studied in the lunar year 1363. He stayed in thatcity for few months then he decided to return to the theologicalseminary in al-Najaf al-Ashraf. But prior to his departure for al-Najaf, he decided to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of theLady of Ahl al-Bayt, Fatima the infallible one, peace be withher, in the city of holy Qum and to familiarize himself with theconditions at the theological seminary in this city. He stayedthere for few months. But those days coincided with the de-mise of senior professors of al-Najaf al-Ashraf who passed

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away one after the other, something that prompted him to de-cide to stay in the holy city of Qum .

In this city, the mentor attended the classes of GrandAyatollah the late Hujjat Kuwah-Kamrah-Ay and distinguishedhimself among his students. Then he attended the classes ofthe late Ayatollah Burujardi in the company of great ayatollahsuch as imam al-Khomeini, Gulpaygani and others.

Sheikh Musbah says the following in this regard:"Ayatollah Bahjat was one of the distinguished students whomaintained regular attendance of the classes offered by thelate Ayatollah Burujardi. It is customary in reference to theKharij researches that some students are more distinguishedthan others in fixing the pursuits and submitting confusingmatters than others. These students are more precise thantheir fellows, and their confusing issues take sometimes agreat scholarly shape, making answering them a matter thatneeds more precision and depth than other confusing issues.Ayatollah Bahjat had thus a status in the classes of the lateAyatollah Burujardi."

TEACHINGAyatollah Bahjat used to teach the high Sutooh in Najaf al-

Ashraf when he was attending classes of major ayatollah suchal-Isfahani, alKampani and al-Shirazi. In other words, he usedto teach and study at the same time, and this was his habiteven after his migration to the holy city of Qum .

As regarding teaching the Kharij research, we cansay he started teaching Kharij al-Fiqh and the Usool for morethan forty years, and he used to teach this subject at his housein order to avoid fame. Many men of virtue benefited from himduring those long past years.

USWAT AL-AARIFEEN CHAPTER TWO

A QUICK LOOK AT SOME BIOGRAPHIES OFPROFESSORS OF HIS HOLINESS GRAND AYATOLLAHSHEIKH BAHJAT

In this Chapter, we will cast a quick look at the life of somegreat professors who played a major role in building the schol-arly life of the sheikh, his manners and spirituality. Ayatollah

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al-Mashkini says, "The professors of Sheikh Ayatollah Bahjatenjoy a lofty scholarly station and a great prominence whichmake us look at them as we look at the stars in the sky."

GRAND AYATOLLAH SAYYID ALI AGHA AL-QADIAl-Hajj Mirza Sayyid Ali Agha al-Qadi was born in the city

of Tabriz on the 13th of the month of Thil-Hijja of 1282 A.H.Having finished his preparatory study, he was tutored by hisfather, the late Hajj Sayyid Hussain al-Qadi. Then he attendedthe lectures of the late Mirza Mousa al-Tabrizi, author of thebook titled Hashiyat al-Rasaail. He also attended the classes ofMirza Muhamamd Ali al-Qaraj Daghi and completed the classesin Arab and Persian literature of the famous poet MirzaMuhammad Taqi al-Tabrizi who is known as "Hujjatul Islam"and the one given the title "Nir". He quoted many poetic versesby him in both Arabic and Persian languages. Then he mi-grated to the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf and was honored toreside in it in 1308 A.H. when he was then 26 years old. In thecity of Najaf , he was taught by these ayatollahs: Fadil al-Sharabyani, Sheikh Muhammad Hassan al-Mamqani, SheikhShari'at, Akhund al-Khurasani and al-Hajj Mirza Hussain al-Khalili.

Sayyid al-Qadi was one of the most respected of thestudents of al-Hajj Mirza al-Khalili. He also studied in his pres-ence the cultivation of manners.

Sayyid al-Qadi was a Gnostic, a faqih, and a man of agreat stature. He also had some miracles and revelations. Al-lama Sheikh Agha Buzurg al-Tehran wrote the following linesin his book Tabaqat A'lam al-Shi'a in his biography: "Sayyid AliAgha Tabatabai Tabrizi al-Qadi, son of Mirza Hussain son ofMirza Ahmad son of Mirza Raheem, is a scholar, a mujtahid, aman of piety and asceticism. I befriended him and kept himcompany for scores of years, and I found stability in his style,youth in his nature and attributes, generosity in his own selfand in his nature. He wrote an exegesis of the Qur'an whichstarts from the beginning of the Qur'an and ends with theninety-second verse of Surat al-An'am: 'Say: Allah, then leavethem in their wading sporting'".

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As for his father, he, too, wrote an exegesis of theHoly Qur'an, and their household was since antiquity a houseof knowledge, virtue and piety.

`Allama Hassan Zadeh al-Amuli says the following inhis regard: "Ayatollah Sayyid al-Qadi was one of the wonders oftime." Then he says, "One of the powerful statements of thelate al-Hajj Sayyid Ali al-Qadi is this: 'If one spends half his lifelooking for a perfect teacher, he does not make much of anachievement.'"

`Allama Hassan Zadeh quotes `allama Tabatabai say-ing the following while detailing the biography of Sayyid Ali al-Qadi: "The Sayyid was an amazing man. He nurtured many stu-dents and was tutored by many professors. He had very strongrevelations, let alone his testimonial and Gnostic perfections,conduct and moral behavior."

Grand Ayatollah al-Gharawi al-Isfahai`Allama Sayyid Muhammad Hussain al-Isfahani, who is fam-

ous as al-Kampani, is one of the prominent mutjahids and greatauthorities of his time. Actually, he was a man of fiqh the likeof whom is quite rare in all times.

The Sayyid was born in the city of al-Kazimiyya on thesecond of Muharram of 1296 A.H. in the environments of arevered family known for its adherence to the creed and piety.His father, the late al-Hajj Muhammad Hassan, was a wellknown merchant in al-Kazimiyya. He was given the title "al-Is-fahani" because his ancestors were affiliated with the city of Is-fahan . His father died when he was still a child, leaving him ahuge fortune which he spent on the study of branches of know-ledge and Islamic teachings as well as on achieving good man-ners. Signs of intelligence and genius emanated from his facesince his childhood. He completed his preparatory study in thecity of al-Kazimiyya, then he left it to be honored by residing inthe city of knowledge and ijtihad, al-Najaf al-Ashraf, when hewas no more than twenty years old. He stud-ied fiqh and usool at the hands of a band of prominent profess-ors such as al-Hajj Agha Rida al-Hamadani, Sayyid al-Fisharki,and Akhund Mulla Kazim al-Khurasani, and he attended les-sons in philosophy and Gnosticism in the presence of the fam-ous man of wisdom, al-Hajj Mirza Muhammad al-Istihbanati.

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He sat on the teaching chair in the city of al-Najaf al-Ashrafshortly after having resided there due to his genius and gener-al acquisition.

He left behind precious works dealingwith fiqh, usool and philosophy. We would like to point out tosome of them:

n his comment on Maq'ad Kifayat al-Usool fi `Ilm al-Usooln his comment on Al-Makasib fi `Ilm al-Fiqhn a poem titled "the wise man's precious jewel" which

deals with philosophyn He also left a diwan in Arabic and Persian poetry.

He returned to the mercy of his Lord on the fifth of Dhul-Hij-jah of 1361 A.H. at an age exceeding 65 and was buried in thecity of al-Najaf al-Ashraf beside the shrine of Imam Ali, peacebe with him.

Grand Ayatollah al-Hajj Sheikh Muhammad Kazim al-Shirazi

The mentor was born in 1290 A.H. in the city of Shiraz . Hewas honored by making the pilgrimage to the holy sitesin Iraq in the company of his parents in 1300 A.H. and residedin the city of holy Kerbala where he started learning Arabic.His parents returned to Shiraz two years later, but he re-mained in Kerbala and kept himself busy with the elementarystudy. He returned to Shiraz fourteen years after his residencein Kerbala. He studied al-Mutawwal and al-Ma`alim in thepresence of the perfect scholar, al-Hajj Sayyid Muhammad al-Kazruni who is well known for his skill in teaching al-Mutaww-al. He returned to Kerbala two years since his residencein Shiraz , then he went to Samarra in 1310 A.H. in order tocontinue his studies. He studied the rasaail and makaasib inthe presence of the perfect scholar, Sheikh Hassan Ali al-Tehrani, who is famous for his knowledge and piety, and he at-tended the classes of the late Ayatollah Mirza Muhammad Taqial-Shirazi, and he regularly attended his classes till the day thementor died.

He left Samarra for al-Kazimiyya where he taught,then he migrated to the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf in order to

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establish a theological seminary. It is worth mentioning that heused to oversee the answers to most religious edicts ofAyatollah al-Isfahani.

In 1366, one year before his demise, he left the city ofal-Najaf al-Ashraf with the intention to make the pilgrimage tothe shrine of Imam al-Rida, peace be with him. The theologicalseminary in holy Qum and its dignitaries, such as AyatollahBurujardi, Hujjat, al-Faydh, al-Khunsari and al-Sadr, welcomedhim. In 1367 he died and was buried in one of the chambers ofthe shrine of Imam Ali, peace be with him.

Grand Ayatollah Mirza Muhammad Hussain al-NaeeniAyatollah al-Naeeni was one of the most famous religious au-

thorities of his time, one of the greatest critics and verifiers inthe sciences of fiqh and usool, so much so that he was knownas the mujaddid in the science of usool and the one who ex-celled in it.

The `allama was b orn in a family known for its know-ledge and distinction on the 17th of Dhul-Qi'da of 1376 A.H. inthe city of Naeen in the governorate of Isfahan. He completedhis elementary study in his home town then migrated to thecity of al-Najaf al-Ashraf in order to continue his higher studyin fiqh and usool. He was taught by Grand Ayatollah al-HajjMirza Muhammad Hassan al-Shirazi the Senior and distin-guished himself among his students. He also used to attend theclasses of Ayatollah Akhund Muhammad Kazim al-Khurasani inorder to show his humbleness and respect for his status.

The `allama stood out among the scholars of al-Najafal-Ashraf due to the abundance of his knowledge and to his ac-quisition of the sciences of mathematics, wisdom, philosophy,Gnosticism as well as skill in fiqh and usool. He cultivated thescience of usool, coining anew in a new form distantly from dif-ficulty and complexity, winning the admiration of those whowere familiar with this art.

He also wrote books many of which were publishedincluding the following:

n a dissertation in what is doubtful to wearn Wasilat al-Najat

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n Reports in the science of usool (which was printed sev-eral times)

n A dissertation in "there is no harm…"

Ayatollah Naeeni paid special attention particularly to cultiv-ating himself, so he never abandoned the performance of thenight prayer, nor was he ever heard articulating a bad word.He used to organize his precious time and not waste it at all.He used to spend his time in either a scientific research, orlooking after the affairs of people, or in helping them with theirneeds. He was moderate with regard to what he ate or put on,and he was extremely cautious in faring with the public funds.He never took advantage of the blessed "Imam's share" andother rights stated in the Shari'a for his own personal benefit.Rather, he used to meet his life's expenses from his ownincome.

As regarding his political and social services, hewrote a book titled Tanbeeh al-Umma wa Tanzeeh al-Milla [no-tifying the nation and clearing the name of the creed] duringthe black dictatorial epoch in Iran . In it, he explained throughlogic and wisdom the norms of despotism and dictatorship, re-minding the scholars and jurists of their religious duty towardsthe situation then. He also explained in the book the limits ofthe powers of the ruler and the Islamic government, pointingout to the chapters of the admonishment by Imam Ali (AS) toMalik al-Ashtar.

This book won the attention of the struggling author-ities at the time; therefore, Ayatollah Akhund al-Khurasani andAyatollah Sheikh Abdullah al-Mazandarani issued their author-ization, supporting the revolution of the constitution and an-nouncing its origins as being derived from the Islamic faith ofthe Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be withhim and his progeny.

Ayatollah Naeeni and a group of his distinguishedstudents were banished together with Ayatollah al-Isfahani andAyatollah al-Khalisi to Iran because of their struggle to changethe government in Iraq .

Ayatollah Naeeni entered the city of Qum after ashort stay in the cities of Kermanshah and Hamadan , and hewas busy teaching and performing the congregational prayer

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service. He returned to al-Najaf al-Ashraf one year after hisstay in the holy city of Qum .

He joined his Lord on the 26th of Jumada I of 1358A.H. after a lifetime of service, struggle and perseverance fornurturing a united generation that carries a Qur'anic message.

Grand Ayatollah Agha Diya ad-Deen al-IraqiGrand Ayatollah Agha Diya ad-Deen al-Iraqi was born in the

city of Sultan-Abad (Persian Iraq, Arak ) in the year 1278 A.H.He completed his preparatory study in his home town then mi-grated to the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf in order to complete hisstudy. He attended classes by great Ayatollahs such asMuhammad al-Fisharki, Akhund al-Khurasani, Sayyid Kazim al-Yazdi and the mentor of the Shari'a, al-Isfahani.

Signs of his intelligence and genius were obvious dur-ing the first years of his study. He started teaching at an earlyage, and many students gathered round him because of hisoratory and the ease of his explanation. He distinguished him-self among great teachers following the demise of his profess-or, the late Akhund al-Khurasani. He studied fiqh and usool formore than thirty years and many students were nurtured byhim. Some of them became later on sources for taqlid. Amonghis works, one can point out to a book containing articlesabout usool. Finally, this working scholar moved to the mercyof his Lord in the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf in the year 1361A.H.

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abu al-Hassan al-IsfahaniAyatollah Sayyid Abu al-Hassan al-Isfahani was born in the

Madisa village, one of the villages of Lanjan district of the cityof Isfahan . He completed his elementary study inthe Nimarud School in Isfahan where he was taught by MirzaAbu al-Ma'ali al-Kalbasi, benefiting greatly from him. He mi-grated to Najaf al-Ashraf in 1307 A.H. in order to complete hisstudy and attended classes by its great professors. He earnedthe degree of ijtihad in the classes offered by Ayatollah Akhundal-Khurasani. He rose to distinction with Ayatollah Naeeni afterthe demise of the late Ayatollah Akhund al-Khurasani andAyatollah Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi. After the death of

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Ayatollah Naeeni, he became the only religious authority formost of Shiite lands.

Imam al-Khomeini and another group of contempor-ary jurists commented on his scholarly dissertation (risala) dueto its inclusion. This great scholar joined his Lord on a Monday,the 9th of the month of Dhul-Hijja of 1365 A.H. in the city of al-Kazimiyya. Addressing his holy body, Ayatollah MuhammadHussain Kashifal-Ghita made these statements: "Congratula-tions to you the ascension to your Lord! How happy you havebeen alive and dead! Your life was joined with managementand greatness, making people through it forget the past greatones, following the coming ones. You were also born twice:Once you earned experience and knowledge, and once you ac-ted upon what you had earned!"

He, may Allah have mercy on his soul, was character-ized by good attributes and characteristics, and his pure soulinspired one to be firm and steadfast for the sake of the AdoredOne. He surpassed his peers in managing the affairs, in admin-istration and knowledge, and he was generous, articulate,orator, making his classes the most busy and popular amongthose offered at Najaf al-Ashraf's theological seminary.

He participated in the struggle of the Muslim Iraqipeople against colonialism and was banished to Iran togetherwith some struggling scholars. He had honorable stands to-wards the incidents at the Guharshad Mosque in the holy cityof Mashhad .

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Murtada al-TaleqaniSheikh Murtada al-Taleqani was born in 1280 A.H. in the city

of Taleqan . He learned the Qur'an and Persian literature inthe katateeb of the city then migrated toTehran and from thereto Isfahan so he could attend classes by its great scholars suchas Ayatollah Abu al-Ma'ali al-Kerbalai, the man of wisdom al-Qashqa'I Mulla Muhammad al-Kashi and others.

He migrated to the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf and wastutored at the hands of its great scholars such as Akhund al-Khurasani, Sayyid Kazim al-Yazdi, the mentor of the Shari'a al-Isfahani, Mirza Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi and others.

He paid attention to nurturing himself and purifyinghis soul so he could fold the stages of perfection and reach the

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ultimate objective. The mentor, may Allah have mercy on him,abandoned the world and spent most of his time teaching thestudents and cultivating them. Many of them later on rose todistinction, becoming authorities and great scholars in ourtime.

The mentor, may Allah have mercy on him, livedsingle all his life, and he was residing in the school of Sayyidal-Yazdi of the reliable niche in the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf tillhe died there in 1364 A.H.

The wise `allama Sayyid Hussain Badkubah-AyThe `allama was born in 1293 A.H in the village of Dalan in

the city of Badkubah . He was tutored at the hands of his fath-er and completed the preparatory study and that of literaturein his presence. He migrated to Tehran after the death of hisfather and resided at the Sadr School in that city. He studiedmathematics and philosophy at the hands of the late SayyidAbu al-Hassan Jalwah and the late Mirza Hashim al-Ashkuri.He also studied logic for seven years of continuous effort in thepresence of his professors teaching this science.

He migrated to al-Najaf al-Ashraf and attended theclasses of Grand Ayatollah Akhund al-Khurasani. This coin-cided with the first days of writing the Kifayabook. He alsostudied fiqh at the hands of Ayatollah Sheikh MuhammadHassan al-Mamqani. Soon many virtuous scholars gatheredround him to benefit from his views and theories. Finally, hemoved to the mercy of his Lord in the eve of the 28th of theholy month of Shawwal of 1358 A.H. in the bath house of thesacred shrine and was buried in the neighborhood of his holygrandfather, Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib, peace be with him.

Grand Ayatollah the authority Kuwah-Kamrah-AyThe authority Ayatollah was a scholar who acted upon his

knowledge, a perfect jurist, a virtuous traditionist, a skilledwise man, a precise man of usool, a verifier of narrators ofhadith, a man who acquired knowledge of what is rational andwhat is transmitted. He was born in the month of Sha'ban of1310 A.H. in the city ofTabriz in a religious family known for itspiety.

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His revered lineage goes back to the most respectedSayyid Muhammad al-Masri who is nicknamed al-Hijazi, one ofthe offspring of Ali al-Asghar son of Imam Ali ibn al-HussainZain al-Abidin, peace be with him. The authority ayatollah en-joyed an exceptional intelligence and a swift roving intellectwhereby he was able to complete his preparatory study at anastounding pace so he could study after it fiqh, usool, mathem-atics, rationale, ancient and modern medicine as well as a gen-erous amount of modern sciences such as physics andchemistry.

He completed the Sutooh stage in fiqh and usool atthe hands of his father, the late Sayyid Ali Kuwah-Kamrah-Ay.He migrated to al-Najaf al-Ashraf in 1330 when he was twentyyears old. He attended classes of great professors such asthe `allama al-Yazdi of Al-Urwah al-Wuthqa (the reliable niche),the mentor of the Shari'a al-Isfahani, Mirza Naeeni and AghaDiya ad-Deen al-Iraqi.

In 1349 A.H., he returned to the holy city of Qum andwas one of the greatest of its scholars and senior professors ofits seminary.

He won the attention of Grand Ayatollah al-Haeri,founder of the theological seminary in Qum , who asked him tolead the congregational prayer service in his place during thelate years of his holy life. He also taught in his place after hisdemise and continued to teach and answer requests for edicts.He looked after people's affairs till the last moment of his lifedespite his weakness and deteriorating health.

The Sayyid, may Allah have mercy on him, was a dis-tinctive testimonial for the tradition transmitted from the Infal-lible Imams, peace be with them, which says [in describing atrue believer], "He disobeys his desires, obedient to the com-mand of his Lord, protecting himself, safeguarding his creed."He kept the secrets to himself, so much so that even theclosest people to him did not know him as he should have. He,may Allah have mercy on him, was among those who won thehonor of meeting the Imam of the Time, may Allah hasten hisreappearance. And he was precise in utilizing his time, an avidreader of scholarly and juristic books, not abandoning researchor study even on his wedding night.

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He left several books in various fields. We would likehere to point to some of them:

1. Kitab al-Biya' [a book about real estate]2. a collection of traditions and usool3. his commentary about the book titled Al-Kifaya4. Lawami' al-Anwar al-Gharawiyya fi Mursalat al-Athar al-

Nabawiyya5. Mustadrak al-Mustadrak

The Sayyid predicted the hour of his death; so, he gatheredsome scholars of the seminary and requested some pure soilfrom the shrine of Imam al-Hussain which he put on his tongueand said, "The last of my ration from the world is the soil of al-Hussain." He consulted the Qur'an regarding his destiny, sothe 14th verse of Chapter al-Ra'd [thunder] came up: "To Himbelongs the call of the truth". He, therefore, said in an audiblevoice: "We belong to Allah, and to Him do we return," then hissacred soul left his body.

Having come to know about his demise, AyatollahBurujardi said, "Now my spine has been broken. The chambermay become a school of a mosque (after the example of themosque and school of the Hujjatis)," and he instructed thechamber located beside the mosque to be a cemetery for him-self and the members of his family. This will was inspired tohim in a vision.

Grand Ayatollah BurujardiGrand Ayatollah Burujardi belongs to a respectable family

known for its knowledge and piety. He is one of the Sayyidswho belong to the Infallible Imams, peace be with them. Hislineage reaches Imam al-Hassan, the chosen one.

The Sayyid was born in 1292 A.H. in the city of Buru-jard . He was taught by scholars of this city and finished a gooddeal of his preparatory study at the hand of his father. He mi-grated to Isfahan in 1310 A.H. in order to continue his studiesand acquire religious studies, and he was then eighteen yearsold. He was tutored by senior scholars of Isfahan such as thegrand ayatollahs and those bearing the title "Hujjatul-Islam"such as Abu al-Ma'ali al-Kalbasi, Sayyid Mir Muhammad Taqi

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al-Mudarrisi and Akhund Mulla Muhammad al-Kashi, MirzaJehangir al-Qashqai. He also taught jurisprudence and usool inhis study in this city.

He migrated to al-Najaf al-Ashraf in 1318 A.H. eightyears after having resided in Isfahan and his earning the de-gree of ijtihad in it, and he was then twenty-six years old. Hebenefited from attending classes by great ayatollahs such asthe Akhund al-Khurasani, author of Al-Kifaya, and `allama al-Yazdi, author of Al-Urwat al-Wuthqa. He distinguished himselfamong the students of the late Akhund for he wrote comment-aries about his book titled Kifayat al-Usool.

He returned to the city of Burujard in 1328 A.H. aftera residence that lasted for ten years in the city of al-Najaf al-Ashraf during which he earned the ijtihaddegree which wasawarded to him by the most distinguished of its scholars. Dur-ing his stay in Burujard, which lasted more than 36 yers, hefounded a theological seminary to teach the researchesof Kharij al-Fiqh and Usool in this city. During this period, hewas emulated as an authority for taqleed by most residents ofthe western and southern parts of Iran and some districts inthe Khurasan governorates and other areas.

He resided in the city of Qum for few months after re-turning from making a pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam al-Rida, peace be with him, as insisted by Grand Ayatollah al-Haeri and a group of other men of virtue in the theologicalseminary. During that period, he studied the Kharij al-Fiqh and Usool researches then returned to his birthplace, thecity of Burujard . He returned to holy Qum in the holy month ofMuharram of 1364 A.H. after having become the greatest au-thority for the Shiites in the world.

More than 1,200 men of virtue and prominent muj-tahids used to attend his classes in the seminary.

Dr Murtuza Alidinia on his life Some Moral Advice

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