Mahmoud Taleghani
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Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani (1911 - September 9, 1979) was an Iranian theologian, Muslim reformer and a senior Twelver Shi'a cleric of Iran. Taleghani was a contemporary of the Iranian Revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and a leader in his own right of Iran's Shi'a resistance movement against the pro-western, secularist Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He has been described as a representative of the tendency of many "Shia clerics to blend Shia with Marxist ideals in order to compete with leftist movements for youthful supporters" during the 1960s and 1970s.[1]
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[edit] Biography
He was born in the town of Taleqan in the Alborz mountains to a religious family. His father taught him Islamic sciences and he continued his studies in Qom, studying Islamic sciences at the Razaviya and Fayziya schools. In 1938 he went to Tehran to preach and lecture on Islamic and was arrested and imprisoned the next year for opposing the regime of Reza Shah. From 1948 onwards he held classes at Hedayat Mosque in Tehran. He traveled abroad to Jordan and Egypt in 1951 and 52, to Shu'oob-al-Moslemin Congress in Karachi city, and twice to Jerusalem as the head of an Iranian delegation to the annual Islamic Congress of Quds. He supported Mohammed Mosaddeq's nationalization of the oil industry. Following the 1953 Iranian coup d'état that overthrew Mossaedegh and restored the Shah he was arrested and - according to the Islamic Republic's IRIB website - "accused of hiding Navvab Safavi, the founder and leader of the Fadayan-e Islam" Islamist assassination group. [2]
Politically active from his student days, Taleghani was a veteran in the struggle against the Pahlavi regime. He was imprisoned on several occasions over the decades, "as a young preacher, as a mid-ranking cleric, and as a senior religious leader just before the revolution," [3] and served a total of a dozen years in prison. [4] In his time in prison he met many leftist political prisoners and "was particularly fond of talking about his interactions with leftists." The influence of the left on his thinking was reflected in his famous book Islam and Ownership (Islam va Malekiyat) which argued in support of collective ownership "as if it were an article of faith in Islam."[5]
Although not as influential as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Taleghani was instrumental in "shaping the groundswell movement" that led to the Iranian Revolution and brought Khomeini to power. During the Islamic Revolution he became chairman of the "secretive" Revolutionary Council, Iran's chief ruling body - a fact not revealed until his death.[4] He was also the first Imam for Friday Prayer in Tehran after the fall of Iran's interim government.
Taleghani was "known for his tolerance" and "served as Khomeini's mediator in disputes with the Kurds and other dissident groups."[4] He also had differences with Khomeini, which led to a clash between them in April 1979 when Khomeini arrested two of Taleghani's sons. "To popular acclaim, Taleghani warned then against a `return to despotism.`" [4] He was considered a supporter of People's Mujahedin of Iran when they began to be edged out of power by Khomeini supporters in 1979. In his views, Taleghani declared the headscarf as not being a mandatory part of hijab, among other opinions.
Taleghani died in 1979. His death was a blow to leftist forces in the revolution,[6] and was the occasion of huge crowds and much emotion before and during his funeral.[2]
He has been described as a "chain smoker" and having a "gaunt face with a serious demeanor."[7]
[edit] Works
- A light of Quran,
- Introduction- explanation on Tanbih Al-Omah va Tanzih Al-Mellah,
- Islam and Ownership,
- Translation of the first volume of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (Pbuh)’s Book,
- A light of Nahj-ul-Balaq,
- Authority and Judicial Decree,
- Freedom and Despotism,
- Unity Lesson,
- A Lesson from Quran,
- Days and Lectures,
- Sermons of Friday Prayers [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.126-7
- ^ a b c Ayatollah Mahmood Taleqani Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (official government biography of Taleghani)
- ^ Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.127
- ^ a b c d TIME magazine obituary
- ^ Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.127
- ^ Moin, Baqer (2000). Khomeini: Life of the Ayatollah. Thomas Dunne Books.
- ^ Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.126
[edit] External links
- Ayatollah Mahmood Taleqani Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (official government biography of Taleghani)
- Photograph of the gravestone of Ayatollah Mahmood Taleqani: [1]
![[1]](http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/15269/2916491990061594669S600x600Q85.jpg){kind=link}