Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani

Ayatollah Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani (Persian: آیت‌الله عطاءالله اشرفی اصفهانی‎; 1902 – 15 October 1982) was an Iranian religious leader. He was born near Esfahan and educated in Esfahan and at the Qom Seminary. He became a mojtahed when he was 40. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, he was selected as the Imam Jumu'ah (the chief mullah for Friday prayers) for the city of Kermanshah. He was killed by a member of the Mujahideen-e Khalq during Friday prayer on 15 October 1982.

Ayatollah Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani
Personal
Born1902
Homayoun Shahr, Esfahan Iran
Died15 October 1982(1982-10-15) (aged 80)
Bakhtaran, Kermanshah, Iran
ReligionTwelver Shia Islam
NationalityIran

Early life

Esfahani was born in 1902 in Khomeyni Shahr (then called Sadeh), a city located some 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of the central city of Esfahan. His father, Mirza Asadollah, was a religious scholar; his mother, Lady Najmeh, was a daughter of Sayyed Mohammad Taghi MirDamadi.[1] He is a descendant of one of the Jabal Amel (Arabic: جبل عامل‎) scholars who converted to Islam in the early days of Islam; his ancestors then moved to the area near Esfahan.[2]

Education

The young Esfahani made his preliminary studies in his birthplace, Sadeh (later called Khomeyni Shahr after the Islamic Revolution). At the age of 12, he went to the Esfahan Hawza (Seminary), where he stayed for about a decade, learning from such scholars as Ayatollah Besharati and Hassan Modarres. In 1923, at age 20, he moved to the Qom Seminary to continue his education. At first, he went to the Razawieh Seminary (Persian: مدرسه رضویه‎) for one year, then the Feyzieh Seminary (Persian: مدرسه فیضیه‎) for about one more year before starting to study with Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi. After Haeri Yazdi's death in 1937, he studied under Mohammad Taghi Khansari, Seyed Mohammad Hojjat Kuh-Kamari, and Seyed Sadreddin Sadr. At age forty, he was certified for ijtihad (Persian: اجتهاد‎) by Mohammad Taghi Khansari.

When Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi went to Qom, Esfahani studied with him for 15 years.[3][4]

Relationship with Khomeini

From the beginning of Esfahani's time in the Qom Seminary, Ayatollah Khomeini paid attention to him, citing his virtue and his scientific and practical efforts. Khomeini said about him: "This our dear altar martyr that was martyred in last Friday, was the great person who I have devotion towards him. I know this Blessed person almost sixty years."[5][6][7] Khomeini also said: "For long years I had known him, admired his calm, peaceful, and assuring spirit, as well as vast knowledge and good deeds."[8] The feelings were apparently mutual; Esfahani said that "No one can be compared with Imam Khomeini."[9] After death of Boroujerdi in 1961, Esfahani tried to declare Khomeini the Grand Marja', replacing Boroujerdi.[10][11][12]

Religious and political activities

Going to Kermanshah

In 1956, Esfahani moved to Kermanshah at Ayatollah Borujerdi's command, to spread the teachings of Islam and reopen the seminary in Kermanshah.[3] In 1963, Khomeini appointed him as his representative in Kermanshah.[13] After the Islamic Revolution on 6 October 1979, Khomeini selected him as Imam Jumu'ah of Kermanshah.[14]

Role in the Islamic Revolution in Iran

He was one of the followers of Khomeini in the Iranian Revolution.[11] Commemoration of the demise of Mostafa Khomeini by Esfahani was the base of the revolutionary movement in Kermanshah.[2][15] On 5 January 1978, with the publication of an insulting article in the Ettela'at newspaper against Khomeini, there were demonstrations in many Iranian cities, including Kermanshah.[16] Esfahani was the leader of the demonstration in Kermanshah, as well as many others in that city.[2][15]

Iran–Iraq war

During the Iran–Iraq War, he went to the war zones and spoke with Iranian soldiers. Also he stressed the importance of the war in sermons during Jumu'ah prayers.[2][15]

Trying to unite Sunni and Shia

He tried to unite Sunni and Shia in Kermanshah. To attempt this, he visited Paveh, Javanrood, and Ravansar, the Sunni cities of Kermanshah, and held many meetings with Sunni scholars.[17]

Books
  • Al-Bayan
  • Interpretation of Qur'an (A brief review of Shia and Sunni interpretations)
  • Majma-Al-Shatat
  • The books about Muqatta'at
  • A book about Imam Mahdi.[18]

Death

On 15 October 1982, after two unsuccessful attempts to kill him,[15] a member of the Mujahideen-e Khalq succeeded in killing him at the age of 80 while he was praying Jumua'h prayers.[2][19]

See also

References
  1. Yuosefi, Zeinab; Mohammadi, Fatemeh. "Meraj dar Mehrab/Martyrdom of Ayatollah Ashrafi Esfahani". Golbarg (43): 184.
  2. Ashrafi Esfahani, Mohammad. Bloody Ascension. Nashre Shahed. p. 7. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. (Language probably Farsi, by "FA" in URL)
  3. Hassan, Ardeshiri. "Ayatollah Ashrafi Esfahani epitome of morality and virtue". Moballeqan (in Persian) (83): 43–56.
  4. "Martyr Ayatollah Ashrafi Esfahani". Habilian Association. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  5. Mousavi-Al-Khomeini, Sayyed Rouhallah (1982). He was one of the examples of this verse: «Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration» [33:23] (Speech). On the killed Ayatollah Ashrafi Esfahani.
  6. Hashemi Taroujeni, Seyyed Mohammad (2003). "Martyr Ashrafi Esfehani and Imam Khmoeini". Hozour (in Persian) (46): 206.
  7. Musavi-Al-Khomeini, Sayyed Rouhallah. Sahifa of Imam Khomeini volume 17 (in Persian). Institute for Publication of books of Imam Khomeini. p. 49.
  8. Shahbaz, Sayyed Ali. "Some of the Great Shia Ulama". Imam Reza. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016.
  9. "Iranian Islamic Intellectuals". IMAM KHOMEINI.
  10. Faqih Haqani, Mousa. "Kermanshah in Islamic Revolution". Institute for studies of Contemporary History of Iran (in Persian).
  11. Kariznavi, Mohammad (2009). "satisfaction of creator in satisfaction of creature". Shahed Yaran (in Persian) (44): 157.
  12. Moqtadayi, Morterza (2009). "He lived very simple" (Interview). Interviewed by Shahed Yaran Magazine.
  13. Vothouqi. "Memorial of alter martyr Ayatollah Ashrafi Esfehani". Alnajm. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  14. Soltani, Mahdi (2007). "Spring of Sacrifice". Esfehan Culture (37–38): 64.
  15. Eshaqi, Seyyed Mohammad; Sadeqi, Mohammad Ali; Qarib bolouk, Halime; Haeri, Ali. Alter Martyrs. Iran: Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. ISBN 978-964-2761-86-9.
  16. Shahbaz, Sayyed Ali. "Some Important Events during the Islamic Revolution in Iran". Imamreza. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  17. Eslami, Jafar (2001). "Ataollah Ashrafi Esfehani". Golbarg (20).
  18. "Ayatollah Ashrafi Esfehani". Bultan News.
  19. Bill, James A.; Leiden, Carl (1984). Politics in the Middle East. Little, Brown. p. 388. ISBN 978-0-316-09506-8.
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