Draft:Ali Meshkini

Ali Meshkini
Name	Ali Meshkini
Other Names	{{{other_names}}}
Personal Details
Birth Place	Iran
Brith Date	1921 (CE)
Death Place	Qom, Iran
Death Date	30 July 2007 (CE)
Teachers	Ayatollah al-Uzma Borujerdi (peace be upon him)
Religion	Islam

Ali Akbar Feyz, known as «Ali Meshkini» or Ayatollah Meshkini, was a prominent and influential Shia cleric in the Islamic Revolution of Iran and one of the companions of Imam Khomeini who rendered significant services to the system and country of Iran after the revolution as well.

Biography

He was born in 1300 SH (1921 CE) in a village named "Ally" belonging to the Meshkin block, into a devout and scholarly family. His father was a scholar who, in the guise of clergy, pursued knowledge and managed people's affairs.

Although his father could not pursue seminary sciences from early adolescence due to poverty, at the age of 25 he went to the cities of Tabriz, Ardabil, and Zanjan, and thereafter to Najaf to acquire knowledge along this path.

He recounts the memories of that era as follows: "My father was in Najaf for four years when he wrote a letter and invited us there as well, and we went to Najaf together with my uncle and family." While he resided in Najaf Ashraf with his father, he went to school, but before two years of their stay in this city had passed, his mother passed away and they were forced to return to Iran.

Education

He learned some of the preliminaries of religious sciences from his father. After some time, he lost his father as well. With his father's demise, life became hard for him; so much so that he had said: "After my father's death, we were orphans and had nothing." However, in this life constraint, according to his father's will, he went to Ardabil to learn "Sarf and Nahw" (Arabic morphology and syntax) in the seminary of this city. After two years of study in the Ardabil city seminary, due to dissatisfaction with the educational status, he decided to travel to Qom. The journey incurred expenses for him, which were finally covered with five tomans help from his father's friends and one toman assistance from the neighbors of one of the scholars of Ardabil – Ayatollah Badkubehi – and along with two of his roommates, he departed for the holy city of Qom and sought out scholars and teachers who were no longer like the teachers of Ardabil and were all considered senior and distinguished scholars. And in the land of love of the Family of Muhammad, the city of Qom, he pursued religious sciences. At that time, the ominous shadow of the Pahlavi dynasty dominated the country, and studying in seminaries was very difficult. Under these conditions, he successfully completed the surface level courses and attended the outer lessons of Fiqh and Usul of the famous teachers and scholars of his time. His father had told him: "My son! On the Day of Judgment, you will come before me with a black face if you have not learned rulings, beliefs, and interpretation...".

He recalls the beginning of seminary studies in Qom as follows: "At those times, for a while I attended the lessons of the late Ayatollah Hojjat Koohkamareh'i, the outer lessons of the late Ayatollah Borujerdi and Ayatollah Mohaqeq Damad." It was in those same years that 37-year-old Ali Akbar Meshkini, along with a number of clerics, scholars, and seminary teachers, requested educational organization in the Qom Seminary through a letter to Ayatollah Borujerdi. They wished that some other courses such as ethics also be included in the framework of students' courses. Even alongside this letter, consultations were held with other great scholars of the seminary. And they achieved good results in the field of seminary educational affairs.

Teachers and Friends

During his study years, he had the honor of attending the presence of many scholars. He was present in Najaf Ashraf for nearly seven months and had a strong presence in the outer lessons of the teachers of that region. He seriously participated in the outer lessons of Fiqh and Usul of Ayatollah al-Uzma Borujerdi (peace be upon him) and Ayatollah al-Uzma Mohaqeq Damad (peace be upon him), and in the outer lesson of Imam Khomeini (peace be upon him). During the study years and thereafter, he had friendly relationships with many scholars and teachers, among whom Ayatollah Javadi Amoli and Ayatollah Amini can be named.

Teaching

Many of today's teachers and scholars are counted among his students who seriously participated in his lessons. He has taught the books of the preliminary and surface levels multiple times and has been engaged in teaching outer Fiqh and Usul for years. Also, Ayatollah Meshkini's interpretation lesson and his ethics lesson were among the famous lessons of the Qom Seminary.

Activities

Ayatollah Meshkini navigated the twists and turns of politics during his 86 years of life. Amidst the events before and after the Revolution, what is evident in his words and actions is the defense of the "Islamic Government," specifically its "popular" type.

The activities of Ayatollah Meshkini and his like-minded colleagues began during a period when Ayatollah Borujerdi was considered the leader of the seminary and the institution of Marja'iyyah, and political views were rejected and marginalized. Although they did not have the opportunity to address some of their political concerns, they started a movement by writing a letter. The letter was written in Ali Meshkini's handwriting and endorsed by 200 seminary students and teachers, becoming the cornerstone of a quasi-organizational work for future days.

He, along with his militant friends, took action again in 1960 CE to take the second step in reforming the educational structure of the seminary. He designed a structured educational program with Martyr Dr. Ayatollah Beheshti and Ayatollah Rabbani Shirazi. This program was supposed to be pursued at Ayatollah Golpaygani's Alavi School, which years later manifested in a school titled "Haqqani". In addition to being a member of the founding board of this school, he taught ethics and Makasib. During that period, when educational books were considered sacred and seminary scholars were not even willing to change their writing format, he summarized the Rasail and Makasib of Sheikh Murtada Ansari and made them available to the students of that school in a style and context different from other seminary schools.

In 1977 CE, he became part of a core group that was formed again at the initiative of Martyr Ayatollah Beheshti. Although the members of this core group shared commonalities with other organizations such as the Society of Seminary Teachers and the Combatant Clergy of Tehran, and the same clerics who were in Qom seeking to promote the overthrow of the current regime, this core group pursued the final step of forming the Islamic Government. In the 11-member group, the promotion and theorizing of Wilayat and Islamic Government were considered, but in this core group, the organization of forces for the management of the Islamic Government was pursued. It sought to prepare the groundwork for the formation of a party and an armed movement against the regime with the help of other clerics, which after the Revolution became the basis for the Islamic Republican Party.

Following the writing of the insulting article by Ettelaat newspaper about their leader in the early hours of 8 January 1978, he gathered with other scholars and planned the protests of the coming days. Following the 9 January 1978 uprising, they played a key role in spreading these protests to other cities. On the eve of Imam Khomeini's (peace be upon him) entry into Iran, they staged a sit-in at the University of Tehran Mosque for unity between clerics and academics.

Establishment of Al-Hadi Institute

One of his important and prominent activities in the cultural field is the establishment of the Al-Hadi Institute, which engages in printing useful and Islamic books for various levels of society and acquaints people with Islamic truths and teachings.

Political Activities

Ayatollah Meshkini's political activities throughout his life are full of struggles and political efforts to realize the Islamic Government. He was among the first individuals to join Imam Khomeini's (peace be upon him) movement. He participated in secret meetings of militants; therefore, he was on the run in Tehran for about four months and then left Iran for Iraq. Upon returning to Qom, he was arrested on the very first day, and SAVAK demanded that he leave Qom within 48 hours. Therefore, he went to Mashhad and taught there for 15 months, then returned to the Qom Seminary and continued the struggles; however, after a while, he was exiled along with 27 other professors and elites of the seminary. Therefore, he went to his birthplace, Ardabil. But after three months, SAVAK arrested him and exiled him to Mahan, Kerman, and Golpayegan. After two years, he was also exiled to Kashmar, and during the exile period, he did not stop struggling; thus, SAVAK transferred him to another location. He was one of the active political members of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom.

Responsibilities

With the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Meshkini played roles in various responsibilities, some of which are as follows:

1. Membership in the Assembly of Experts for the Constitution;
2. Head of Selection and Dispatch of Judges by order of Imam (peace be upon him);
3. Presidency of the Assembly of Experts in all three terms;
4. Leading Friday Prayers in Qom by order of Imam (peace be upon him) and the Supreme Leader of the Revolution;
5. Membership in the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom;
6. Presidency of the Council for Revision of the Constitution.

Explanation of Important Political Issues

He has stated regarding the explanation of important political issues:

Although there is a fundamental shortage in the field of religious issues; however, at the same time, providing awareness in social and political affairs is also necessary and essential. Familiarity and explanation of the Constitution, especially its important and fundamental principles, is necessary.

Global Arrogance is in conflict and opposition with Principle 105 of the Constitution, because the Islamic government and the legitimacy of the system, the legitimacy of the Constitution, and the legitimacy of the country's administrative system depend on the existence of the Leader. Preachers should tell the people with logic and make them understand; what do those who say religion is separate from politics say? What does Islam minus the clergy mean? It means a hospital minus a doctor. If they remove the doctors from the hospital, it becomes a hospital minus a doctor; in such a situation, this is no longer a hospital, it becomes a morgue. This is what Islam minus the clergy means.

Works

During his lifetime, he carried out many activities. Many of today's professors and scholars are counted among his students who seriously participated in his lessons. He taught the preliminary and intermediate level books multiple times and was engaged in teaching advanced jurisprudence (Kharij Fiqh) and principles (Usul) for years. Also, his exegesis (Tafsir) lesson was among the famous lessons of the Qom Seminary.

Among his important activities in this field was the establishment of the Al-Hadi Institute, which engages in printing Islamic books for various levels of society and acquaints people with Islamic truths and knowledge.

He has authored and published numerous books in various fields of Islamic sciences. Some of them are as follows:

1. Istilah al-Usul
2. Mustalahat al-Fiqh
3. Al-Fiqh al-Ma'thur (A cycle of Fiqh in a new style)
4. Durus fi al-Akhlaq (A cycle of Arabic ethics)
5. Marriage in Islam
6. Al-Manafi' al-Ammah (Commentary on the book Ihya al-Mawat of Shara'i)
7. Miftah al-Jinan (Prayer book, completion of Misbah al-Munir)
8. Al-Mawa'iz al-Adadiyah
9. Wajib wa Haram Ahkam al-Ilzamiyah (Cycle of Fiqh)
10. Qisar al-Jumal (Short hadiths under lexical titles, two volumes)
11. Translation of the Holy Quran into Persian
12. Al-Huda ila Mawdu'at Nahj al-Balagha
13. Al-Mabsut (Exegesis of Surah Al-Imran)
14. Wajibat wa Muharramat (Comprehensive review of what is obligatory and forbidden in belief and practice in Sharia)
15. Exegesis of Surah Sad
16. Discussion on Evolution from the Quran's Perspective
17. Maslakuna fi al-Aqa'id wa al-Akhlaq wa al-Amal
18. The Earth and What is in It
19. What is Taqlid?
20. Treatise on Khums
21. Explanatory Margin on the Book of Mudarabah, Urwat al-Wuthqa
22. Thematic Nahj al-Balagha
23. Tahrir al-Mawa'iz
24. Tahrir al-Ma'alim
25. Al-Rasa'il al-Jadidah
26. Talkhis al-Makasib (In press)
27. Easy Exegesis for the Young Generation (In press)
28. Persian Translation and Commentary on Three Books: Mudarabah, Muzara'ah, and Shirkat in Urwat al-Wuthqa (In press)

Also, many of his articles have been published in publications such as Nur-e Elm, Pasdar-e Islam, etc., and also in the Jomhouri-ye Eslami newspaper, etc.

Death

He passed away on 30 July 2007 (CE) at the age of 86.

Statements by Ayatollah Khamenei Regarding Him

Three months after the demise of Ayatollah Meshkini, a group of his family members visited Ayatollah Khamenei on 29 October 2007 (7 Aban 1386 SH), and the Supreme Leader of the Revolution also made significant remarks about Ayatollah Meshkini during this meeting. Parts of the text of these statements were unpublished until they appeared for the first time in a special supplement of the Javan newspaper, published on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the demise of that mujahid jurist.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

May God elevate the ranks of the late Mr. Meshkini (may God be pleased with him). His existence was truly a great treasure for our country and nation, and his loss has been a source of great sorrow and a sense of loss for us. However, he (lived happily and died happily); he lived a pure and good life, and praise be to God, he met God in a state of purity, sincerity, spirituality, and clerical integrity.

The late Mr. Meshkini was a perfect embodiment of this hadith: "When a learned jurist dies, a breach is made in Islam that cannot be filled by anything." Indeed, he was one of the complete embodiments of this narration. There are great ones who pass away and leave a void, making one feel regret. However, he was a comprehensive jurist who gathered all aspects; with his entire being, mind, body, tongue, pen, life, and conduct, he was in service to Islam.

We have rarely seen someone like him with this stature, status, and comprehensiveness. Mr. Meshkini was like this. In the early days when I came to Qom, I heard that he was among the elites of the seminary and taught advanced levels. His name dates back to around the year 1337 SH (1958 CE). Later, when the struggle began, there were some whom, based on their nature and personal stature, one would not guess would come and join the struggle. Mr. Meshkini was among those who, contrary to this expectation, entered the field of struggle and was there from the very beginning. I remember from the year 1342 SH (1963 CE), after the Imam was imprisoned, Qom was empty of the Imam's presence, and one truly felt a sense of alienation.

Many efforts were made. One of those efforts was to gather a group of prominent elites of Qom to carry out tasks that the seminary could possibly perform. The foundation of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom was laid there. I, my brother, and Mr. Hashemi were active in this matter. Among those who responded best, most, and first was Mr. Meshkini. He was respected by everyone. I remember, at that time, in that same year 1342, when Imam (may God be pleased with him) was not in Qom and was in prison, it was a period of hardship for Qom, the students, and the seminary; it was very difficult. Much effort was made. The gentlemen went. Our friends contacted the gentlemen. This group we mentioned was divided, and it was decided that each would go to speak with one of the marjas and demand from them and ask them to enter the field more, issue statements, or take action...

Truly and fairly, no deviation from the line and the straight path was seen from him in any matter. In issues related to the seminary, groups, the principle of the Islamic Republic, the Imam, in all various stages and in hard tests that occurred over these twenty-plus years, he was on the straight path and in the middle of the road, and he traversed the path well. He had advantages not seen in many others, namely that he spoke with a fluent expression like flowing water. When he spoke, I truly enjoyed it. In his statements, he relied on verses and narrations.

He had memorized many hadiths and kept them in mind. On every occasion, in public or private gatherings, and in the Assembly of Experts, his advice was commensurate with the time and relied on narrations and the words of the Imams (peace be upon them). He was tasteful. The letters he wrote and the notes he penned were accompanied by delicate expressions. Incidentally, before his death, he had sent a letter to me. He added a margin to the letter of the Society of Seminary Teachers. He had written a very delicate matter with beautiful handwriting. He was a very comprehensive person. Also, his indifference to the world. This aspect that he had among the people, scholars, and officials, and the respect that the Imam and officials held for him over time, did not cause even a particle of pride or arrogance to arise in his conduct or speech.

Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of God.

Text of the Supreme Leader's Message on the Occasion of Demise

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Indeed, we belong to God, and indeed to Him we return.
The demise of the mujahid and pious jurist, His Eminence Ayatollah Haj Mirza Ali Meshkini (may God elevate his station), caused me deep regret and profound sorrow. This esteemed cleric was among the rare personalities who, throughout his blessed life and in various stages of his luminous life, was a source of abundant blessings for the seminary and the faithful people, and a moral and practical example for his students and devotees.
During the tyrannical regime, he was among the pioneers of the Islamic Movement, and during the Islamic Republic, he was counted among the true mujahids and a teacher of sincerity, piety, and righteousness. His conduct and actions, more than his sweet and eloquent speech, were an invitation to faith, piety, seeking truth, and speaking the truth. His high status in the Islamic Republic system and the presidency of the Assembly of Experts for Leadership from the inception of this assembly—which is a sign of his respect and stature in the eyes of the elites, great scholars, and prominent clerical professors of the country—never could cause the slightest flaw in his humility and modesty or in his ascetic life and pure conduct. He was a combination of knowledge and action, jihad and asceticism, and discernment and conduct that was correct, straight, and without deviation. The loss of this divine scholar and this esteemed cleric is a great loss. I ask God Almighty for high ranks, forgiveness, and His vast mercy for his pure soul, and I offer condolences to the Iranian nation, the seminaries, the Grand Maraji', and the prominent scholars, especially to his honorable family and respected survivors and all his devotees and students.
And peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

References

• A Review of the Life of Ayatollah Meshkini, Masjed Foundation Specialized Website, Published 30 July 2017 (CE), Accessed 10 June 2024 (CE).
• Unpublished Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution Regarding Ayatollah Meshkini, Hawzah Information Base, Published 29 July 2012 (CE), Accessed 10 June 2024 (CE).