In Memory of the Son of the Soil; A Clear Picture of Patience and Freedom

Hossein Nasrallah Zanjani
Translated by Mandana Karimi

2025-8-20

To coincide with the 20th Jihad and Resistance Literature Commemoration, the national event "Freed POWs of Iran" will be held in Qazvin on September 29th, 2025. At this ceremony, the commendation of His Highness Ayatollah Khamenei on the book "In Memory of the Son of the Soil" will be published for the first time.

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Writing about the book "In Memory of the Son of the Soil" before being a review of a research work, is a tribute to the pen of Mohammad Ghobadi, who was able to intelligently pull parts of the life and times of the late Hojjatoleslam-wal-Muslimeen Seyyed Ali Akbar Abu Torabi Fard from the dust of time.

This work does not stop at just recording events, but obsessively depicts the hidden layers of suffering, patience, and effort of a great personality in the harsh terrain of struggle and prison camps. This book is a story of the journey of a character, from youth to maturity. In the first chapters, the book, while examining documents and evidence, shows that he was raised in a spiritual and noble family. In his teenage years in Mashhad, Qom, and Najaf Ashraf, he studied hard and then, under the influence of the Imam's personality, he became familiar with the struggle against the Pahlavi regime. By focusing on this period, examining the state of society, seminaries, and the period of struggle, the author makes the most of the remaining interviews with Mr. Abu Torabi in documentary centers, explains those events in detail, and shows the relationship of the main character of the book to these events well. It shows his solidarity with the martyr Seyyed Ali Andarzgoo and the roots of Abu Torabi's resistance and steadfastness in the heart of the underground struggles. This part of the book is essential for understanding the central character of Abu Torabi during the captivity period; Because it shows that before entering the Baathist camps, he had tasted persecution, escape, and hardship, and these experiences prepared him for greater struggle and suffering. Abu Torabi, by utilizing his family personality, religious teachings, understanding of the situation of captivity, and emphasizing the spiritual and mental health of the prisoners, is a model for freedom. The climax and beating heart of the book is the narrative of 10 years of captivity. This is where the spirit and personality of Abu Torabi Fard truly manifests itself. Relying on field research and interviews with about 70 freed POWs and people related to him, the author shows how Abu Torabi Fard, despite torture and pressure, with good morals, tolerance, and tact, became the backbone of the resistance in the camps. He not only tried to maintain the cohesion and resistance of the Iranian prisoners and looked after them, but also impressed even the Iraqi military with his behavior. In this section, the author's attention to research details is commendable. The reference to a first-hand account by martyr Mahmoud Amanollahi, who was released from captivity in 1982 due to a serious injury and conveyed the news of the Sayyid’s captivity to his family, demonstrates Ghobadi’s meticulousness in finding the missing pieces of oral history. This attention to detail adds to the credibility and originality of the work and takes it beyond a typical biography.

The final section of the book is the narrative of The Master of freed POWs’ (Sayyid-e Azadegan’s) return to the country. After 10 years of resistance and steadfastness, Abu Torabi Fard, instead of seclusion and rest, returns to the field of service with the same spirit and humility as always. The book narrates his role as the representative of the Supreme Leader in the affairs of the Freed POWS and then as a parliament member. The important message of this section of the lives of living martyrs like Abu Torabi Fard is that after enduring years of suffering, they to serve people instead of being creditor.

Finally, it is necessary to thank the author for his subject matter and beautiful writing. With this work, he has presented not only a biography, but also a treasure trove of moral and historical lessons to today's generation. This book can be considered a successful model in biography.