Sayyid Mahmoud Alaee Taleghani ( fa, محمود طالقانی, , also
Romanized as Seyed Mahmūd Tāleqānī; 5 March 1911 – 9 September 1979) was an
Iranian
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran
* Iranian lan ...
theologian, Muslim reformer, democracy advocate and a senior
Shi'a
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
Islamic Scholar and thinker of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. Taleghani was a contemporary of the
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
ary leader
Ayatollah
Ayatollah ( ; fa, آیتالله, āyatollāh) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy in Iran and Iraq that came into widespread usage in the 20th century.
Etymology
The title is originally derived from ...
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
and a leader in his own right of the movement against Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A founding member of the
Freedom Movement of Iran
The Freedom Movement of Iran (FMI) or Liberation Movement of Iran (LMI; fa, نهضت آزادی ايران, Nahżat-e āzādi-e Irān) is an Iranian pro-democracy political organization founded in 1961, by members describing themselves as "Muslim ...
, he has been described as a representative of the tendency of many "Shia clerics to blend
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
with
Marxist
Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...
ideals in order to compete with leftist movements for youthful supporters" during the 1960s and 1970s. His "greatest influence" has been said to have been in "his teaching of
Quranic exegesis
Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...
," as many later revolutionaries were his students.
[Bakhash, Shaul, ''Reign of the Ayatollahs'' (1984), p. 168]
He was notably
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
's
first Friday Prayer Imam after the Iranian Revolution.
Biography and education
Taleghani was born to a religious family in the village of
Galird of
Taleqan County
Taleqan County ( fa, شهرستان طالقان) is located in Alborz province, Iran. The capital of the county is Taleqan, formerly Shahrak. At the 2006 census, the county's population as a part of Savojbolagh County in Tehran province was 25 ...
in
Alborz Province on 5 March 1911.
His father Abu'l-Hasan Taleghani, who had published a magazine called ''Balagh'' in the context of the ''
Kashf-e hijab
On 8 January 1936, Reza Shah of Iran (Persia) issued a decree known as ''Kashf-e hijab'' (also Romanized as "Kashf-e hijāb" and "Kashf-e hejāb", fa, کشف حجاب, lit=Unveiling) banning all Islamic veils (including hijab and chador), a ...
'' protests at the time of
Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
,
taught him Islamic sciences. Taleghani continued his studies in Qom, studying the same subject at the Razaviya and
Feyziyeh schools. He obtained his
Ijtihad Certification from his teachers,
Abu l-Hasan al-Isfahani and
Abdul-Karim Ha'eri Yazdi
Grand Ayatollah Hajj Sheikh Abdolkarim Haeri Yazdi ( fa, عبدالکریم حائری یزدی; ar, عبد الكريم الحائري اليزدي ; 1859 – 30 January 1937) was a Twelver Shia Muslim scholar and marja. He was the founder of a ...
, there.
Political activities
Before Islamic Revolution
In 1938 he went to
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
to preach and lecture on Islam and was arrested and imprisoned the next year for opposing the regime of
Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
. From 1948 onwards he held classes at
Hedayat Mosque
Hedayat Mosque ( fa, مسجد هدایت) is a mosque in Tehran, Iran. The mosque played a significant role in Iranian religious revolutionary movements against the Pahlavi regime. This mosque was built and managed by Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani. ...
in Tehran. Ayatollah Taleghani had the responsibility of educating revolutionary folks from the very beginning. He traveled abroad to Jordan and Egypt in 1951 and 1952, to the Peoples Muslim Congress in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, and twice to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
as the head of an Iranian delegation to the annual
Islamic Congress of Quds. He supported
Mohammed Mosaddeq
Mohammad Mosaddegh ( fa, محمد مصدق, ; 16 June 1882 – 5 March 1967) was an Iranian politician, author, and lawyer who served as the 35th Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, after appointment by the 1950 Iranian legislative election ...
's nationalization of the oil industry. Following the
1953 Iranian coup d'état
The 1953 Iranian coup d'état, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup d'état ( fa, کودتای ۲۸ مرداد), was the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of ...
that overthrew Mossaedegh and restored the Shah he was arrested and — according to the Islamic Republic's
IRIB
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; fa, صدا و سيمای جمهوری اسلامی ايران, ''Sedā va Sīmā-ye Jomhūri-ye Eslāmi-ye Īrān'', , formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian rev ...
website — "accused of hiding
Navvab Safavi
Sayyid Mojtaba Mir-Lohi ( fa, سيد مجتبی میرلوحی, 1924 – 18 January 1956), more commonly known as Navvab Safavi ( fa, نواب صفوی), was an Iranian Shia cleric and founder of the Fada'iyan-e Islam group. He played a role in ...
, the founder and leader of the
Fadayan-e Islam
Fadā'iyān-e Islam ( fa, فدائیان اسلام, also spelled as ''Fadayan-e Islam'' or in English "Fedayeen of Islam" or "Devotees of Islam" or literally "Self-Sacrificers of Islam") is a Shia fundamentalist group in Iran with a strong activi ...
" Islamist assassination group.
[Ayatollah Mahmood Taleqani](_blank)
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; fa, صدا و سيمای جمهوری اسلامی ايران, ''Sedā va Sīmā-ye Jomhūri-ye Eslāmi-ye Īrān'', , formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian Rev ...
(official government biography of Taleghani)
Politically active from his student days, Taleghani was a veteran in the struggle against the
Pahlavi regime
The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...
. 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,"
[Nasr, Vali, ''The Shia Revival'', Norton, (2006), p. 127] and served a total of a dozen years in prison.
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."
He helped found
the National Resistance Movement in 1957 and along with
Mehdi Bazargan
Mehdi Bazargan ( fa, مهدی بازرگان; 1 September 1907 – 20 January 1995) was an Iranian scholar, academic, long-time pro-democracy activist and head of Iran's interim government. He was appointed prime minister in February 1979 by Ay ...
,
Yadollah Sahabi
Yadollah Sahabi (25 February 1905 – 12 April 2002) was a prominent Iranian scholar, writer, reformist and politician. A close associate of Mohammad Mosaddegh and Mehdi Bazargan, Sahabi was an active campaigner for the nationalization of the Ira ...
and
Ali Shariati
Ali Shariati Mazinani ( fa, علی شریعتی مزینانی, 23 November 1933 – 18 June 1977) was an Iranian revolutionary and sociologist who focused on the sociology of religion. He is held as one of the most influential Iranian intell ...
he founded the
Iran Freedom Movement
The Freedom Movement of Iran (FMI) or Liberation Movement of Iran (LMI; fa, نهضت آزادی ايران, Nahżat-e āzādi-e Irān) is an Iranian pro-democracy political organization founded in 1961, by members describing themselves as "Muslim ...
in May 1961.
In 1971 he exiled to
Zabol
Zabol ( fa, , also transliterated as Zâbol or Zābul) is a city and capital of Zabol County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. Zabol is near the border with Afghanistan. Referred to as Sistan until the late 1920s, the city was renamed Zabo ...
, a city in
Sistan and Baluchestan Province and then to
Baft
Baft ( fa, بافت, also romanized as Bāft) is a city and capital of Baft County, Kerman Province, Iran. Baft is located southwest of Kerman. At the 2006 census, its population was 35,008, in 8,265 families. Notably, Baft is one of the highest ...
a city of
Kerman Province.
Between 1964 and 1978 he spent nearly a decade in jail.
Altogether he spent nearly 15 years behind bars.
Finally, Taleghani after the rise of the Islamic Revolution in November 1978 was released.
In the Islamic Revolution
Although not as influential as Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
, 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
A workers' council or labor council is a form of political and economic organization in which a workplace or municipality is governed by a council made up of workers or their elected delegates. The workers within each council decide on what thei ...
, Iran's chief ruling body — a fact not revealed until his death.
In order of Ayatollah Khomeini, he was the first Imam for
Friday Prayer in Tehran after the fall of Iran's interim government, In the late July 1979.
Taleghani was "known for his tolerance" and "served as Khomeini's mediator in disputes with the Kurds and other dissident groups."
He also had differences with Khomeini, which led to a clash between them in April 1979. "To popular acclaim, Taleghani warned then against a 'return to despotism.'" Two of Taleghani's sons were arrested
by revolutionary Guards, but thousands of his supporters marched in the streets chanting "Taleghani, you are the soul of the revolution! Down with the reactionaries!'ì" Khomeini summoned Taleghani to Qom where he was given a severe criticism after which the press was called and told by Khomeini: "Mr. Taleghani is with us and he is sorry for what happened." Khomeini pointedly did not refer to him as Ayatollah Taleghani.
Opinions
![Banisadr and Taleghani](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Banisadr_and_Taleghani.jpg)
Taleghani argued that colonization was a primary reason of totalitarism and dictatorship in different countries. While not an ultimate aim ''per se'', nationalism was seen as an instrument of anti-colonialist practices. Taleghani emphasized the resistance against Israel, and travelled many times to
Palestine.
On 20 April 1979, it was broadcast on television interview by Taleghani that “The leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini is not only accepted by me but the world has accepted it. He is the source of belief, sincerity, determination and honesty. I have always approved of his struggles, his words and his projects.”
There is an important place for rationality in Taleghani's thought. According to him, every judgment in Islam has a reason. Also, Islam is seen in his sermons and writings as a religion that set up progressive rules in societal and individual life.
According to Taleghani, the redaction of
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
occurred under the caliphate of the fourth Caliph
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
. Taleghani also emphasized the continuous form of the Quran, and the strict relation between the verses of the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
.
His
tafsir
Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...
, or Quranic commentary, was innovative in language and clearly designed to appeal to a wide audience, with the use of narrations and juridical reports. Taleghani insisted that believers have to contemplate the meaning of the verses of the Quran. He also sought to translate and explain the ''
Nahj al-Balagha
''Nahj al-Balagha'' ( ar, نَهْج ٱلْبَلَاغَة ', 'The Path of Eloquence') is the best-known collection of sermons, letters, and sayings attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth Rashidun Caliph, first Shia Imam and the cousin and so ...
'' against the grain of contemporary social analyses and phenomena.
Death
![Mahmoud Taleghani tomb (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Mahmoud_Taleghani_tomb_%281%29.jpg)
Taleghani died on 9 September 1979.
[ Two sons of Taleghani claimed that he was murdered but this claim was not proven.] His mysterious death and lifetime achievements were the occasion of huge crowds and much emotion before and during his funeral, and was said to be "a blow to moderation and progressive thought" in the revolution.
He has been described as a "chain smoker" and having a "gaunt face with a serious demeanor."[Nasr, Vali, ''The Shia Revival'', Norton, (2006), p. 126]
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini described him "Abu Dhar al-Ghifari
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari Al-Kinani (, '), also spelled Abu Tharr or Abu Zar, born Jundab ibn Junādah (), was the fourth or fifth person converting to Islam, and from the Muhajirun. He belonged to the Banu Ghifar, the Kinanah tribe. No date of birt ...
in the time" in the message on the occasion of his death: "He was for Islam, Abuzar of the time. His expressive tongue was as trenchant and pounding as the sword of Malik al-Ashtar
Malik al-Ashtar ( ar, مَالِك ٱلْأَشْتَر), also known as Mālik bin al-Ḥārith al-Nakhaʿīy al-Maḏḥijīy ( ar, مَالِك ٱبْن ٱلْحَارِث ٱلنَّخَعِيّ ٱلْمَذْحِجِيّ), was one of the loyal ...
."
Works
* '' A shining ray from Quran, It was written while he was imprisoned by the Muhammad Reza Pahlavi.
* ''Introduction- explanation on Tanbih Al-Omah va Tanzih Al-Mellah,''
* ''Islam and Ownership,''
* ''Translation of the first volume of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib’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
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taleghani, Mahmoud
1911 births
1979 deaths
Iranian ayatollahs
Muslim reformers
Iranian reformists
Iranian democracy activists
20th-century Muslim theologians
Freedom Movement of Iran politicians
People of the Iranian Revolution
Iranian revolutionaries
National Front (Iran) politicians
Council of the Islamic Revolution members
Members of the Assembly of Experts for Constitution