Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani

Ayatollah Ata'ollah Ashrafi Esfahani
Fourth martyrs altar چهارمین شهید محراب
Personal details
Born	1902 Homayoun Shahr, Esfahan Iran
Died	15 October 1982(1982-10-15) (aged 80) Bakhtaran, Kermanshah, Iran
Nationality	Iran

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

Early life

Esfahani was born on 1902 in Khomeyni Shahr, a city located some 10 km to the west of the central city of Esfahan. His father (Mirza Asadollah) was one of the religious scholars and his mother Lady Najmeh was daughter of Sayyed Mohammad Taghi MirDamadi.^[1] He descends to one of the Jabal Amel(Arabic: جبل عامل‎‎) scholars who convert Islam in early times of Islam then his ancestors moved down to near Esfahan.^[2]

Education

Esfehani spent his preliminary studies in his birthplace, Sadeh (After the Islamic Revolution in Iran this city called Khomeyni Shahr). Then when he was 12 he went to Esfahan Hawza (seminary). He stayed for about a decade and benefited from such renowned scholars of Esfehan hawza (seminary) as Ayatollah Besharati, Hassan Modarres and others. On 1923 when he was 20, for continuing the education, he moved to Qom Seminary. At first he went to Razawieh Seminary (Persian: مدرسه رضویه‎‎) for one year, then he moved to Feyzieh Seminary (Persian: مدرسه فیضیه‎‎). After that, near one year, he attended the teaching sessions of Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi. After the death of Haeri Yazdi in 1937, he enjoyed the classes of Mohammad Taghi Khansari, Seyed Mohammad Hojjat Kuh-Kamari, and Seyed Sadreddin Sadr. At age forty, he got permission of Ijtihad (Persian: اجتهاد‎‎) from Mohammad Taghi Khansari. When Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi went to Qom, Ashrafi Esfahani attended teaching sessions of Borujerdi for 15 years.^[3][4]

The relationship with Khomeini

Since the beginning of his entry into the Qom Seminary, for his desirable traits such as virtue and his scientific and practical efforts, Ayatollah Khomeini paid attention to him. 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] and said:«For long years I had known him, admired his calm, peaceful, and assuring spirit, as well as vast knowledge and good deeds.»^[8] Also Ashrafi Esfehani said about Khomeini:«No one can be compared with Imam Khomeini.»^[9] After death of Boroujerdi, Ashrafi Esfehani tried to declare Khomeini as the Grand Marja'.^[10][11][12]

Personality

The following has been said bout him:

• He had the pleasing face and he was very virtuous. His speaking style was so delightful that people were not tired of hearing his words and his bright face was very charming. Khomeini said about him: «When I see him, he reminds me of Allah.»^[13]
• He was nutty upon martyrdom. In answering to unidentified persons who threatened to kill him, He said:«Martyrdom, is my ultimate goal».^[13]
• He was very modest. If someone admired him, he was becoming and was taunting him. He had not servant or telephonist and if somebody had suggested him to employ one person he had said: «Imam Khomeini's life is simple than our life. We must live simply.»^[2][14] Ayatollah Khamenei about him said:«Although he was a popular scholar, but he was very modest,unassuming and sedately.»^[15]
• He was very kind. he disliked too much praise and commendation, lie and specially backbite, he restrained every one from backbiting.^[2][16]
• He was very patient. When he went to Kermanshah for founding seminary, Two persons went to Kermanshah with him but they returned to Qom for plenty of problems in Kermanshah, but he stayed in that city despite problems.^[13] Ahmad Jannati said about him: «When he was in Feyzieh Seminary, We sow him virtuous and dignified»^[17]

Religious and political activities

Going to Kermanshah

At first in 1956, he moved down to Kermanshah in order of Ayatollah Borujerdi to spread the teachings of Islam and reopening Seminary in Kermanshah.^[3] Then in 1963, Khomeini appointed him as his representative in Kermanshah.^[18] After victory of Islamic Revolution in Iran, on October 6, 1979, After asking people of Kermanshah, Khomeini selected him as Imam Jumu'ah of that city.^[19]

In Islamic Revolution in Iran

He was one of the fellowships of Khomeini in Iranian Revolution.^[11] Commemorating of demise of Mostafa Khomeini by Ashrafi Esfehani was the base of the revolutionary movement in Kermanshah.^[2][13] Some times thereafter, On January 5, 1978, with the publication of an insulting article in Ettela'at Newspaper against khomeini,against that article was demonstrated in many Iranian cities such as Kermanshah.^[20] Ataollah Ashrafi Esfahani was the leader of that demonstration in Kermanshah.^[2] In general, most of the demonstrations in Kermanshah were led by Ashrafi Esfahani.^[2][13]

Iran Iraq war

During the Iran-Iraq War he went to the war and spoke with Iranian Soldiers. Also he laid stress on presence of people in war in sermons of Jumu'ah prayers.^[2][13]

Trying to unite Sunni and Shia

He tried to unite Sunni and Shia in Kermanshah. For this he was going to Paveh, Javanrood and Ravansar the Sunni Cities of Kermanshah and had held many meetings with Sunni Scholars.^[21]

Books

• Al-Bayan
• Interpretation of Qur'an (A brief of Shia and Sunni interpretations)
• Majma-Al-Shatat
• The books about Muqatta'at
• A book about Imam Mahdi.^[22]

Death

On Friday, October 15, 1982, after two unsuccessful attempts to kill him,^[13] in the third attempt one member of Mujahideen-e Khalq succeeded to kill him at the age of 80 when he was praying Jumua'h prayers.^[2]

See also

• List of Shia Muslim scholars of Islam

References