Memoirs of Ayatollah Mostajabi

Ahmad Sajedi
Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan

2021-4-13

Ayatollah Seyed Morteza Mostajab al-Da’vati, popularly known as “Mostajabi”, the son of Haj Seyed Asadollah Mostajab al-Da’vati and grandson of Ayatollah Seyed Abolhasan Sadr Ameli was born in 1302 AH (1924). Due to his family relationship with the Sadr family, he had a close and intimate relationship with Imam Musa Sadr from a young age. Therefore, any researcher who wants to study about the dignitaries of the Sadr family, it is worthwhile to refer to him for gaining information. According to him, whenever Imam Musa Sadr came to Isfahan, the first place he chose to attend was Seyed Morteza's house.

Ayatollah Seyed Morteza Mostajabi began his education in Tehran’s Seminary and continued it in Najaf and succeeded in obtaining the degree of Ijtihad (independent reasoning on the basis of the holy Qur'an and the Hadith) from Ayatollah Seyed Abolhassan Esfahani. He is one of the political campaigners during the nationalization of the oil industry and is considered among close relatives of Ayatollah Kashani. Ayatollah Mostajabi was also active in charitable and public benefit affairs, as well as in the fields of poetry, literature, art and calligraphy. Moreover, in his youth, concurrent with his seminary education, he was also active in the sport of Zurkhaneh (An Iranian traditional sport), and for this reason, he is referred to as a hero Mujtahidi.

The Islamic Revolution Document Center has recently published a book entitled "Memoirs of Ayatollah Mostajabi" with the aim of identifying the dimensions of this active cleric. In the preface, the author of the book introduces Ayatollah Mostajabi as follows: "He was the right hand of Ayatollah Kashani, the special comrade of Nawab Safavi, the confidant of Imam Musa Sadr, the faithful companion of martyr Seyed Mohammad Baqir Sadr and the sincere friend of Mustafa Khomeini ...”

In the book’s preface, the late Hojjatol Eslam Val-Moslemin Ruhollah Hosainian, the head of the Islamic Revolution Document Center says, “…while rereading the movement for the nationalization of the oil industry, I became acquainted with the name of Ayatollah Mostajabi with the same title "Ayatollah" in the sources of the movement. He had been described as a campaigner against the oil-eating British colonialism and the dependent Pahlavi regime. It had formed in my mind that Ayatollah Mostajabi should have naturally rested in peace in heaven with his saints and ancestors until the friends of Malek Ashtar University of Technology in Isfahan invited me for a lecture. After the ceremony, one of the students said: Do you want to meet Ayatollah Mostajabi? First, I asked unbelievably whether this person is the one who played a role in the oil nationalization movement. He said yes. I impatiently declared my desire to visit him. A man who had aged his body over time, but his soul was full of joy and vivacity with the same revolutionary and religious spirit. I was happy that he was healthy. I asked him why he was called "Ayatollah" in his youth. He pulled out a folder from his messy library and presented a document that Ayatollah Seyed Abolhassan Esfahani had allowed him to practice Ijtihad at a young age ... I asked him to record the memoirs and publish them, he humbly accepted and agreed and the same student who had guided me to visit him was supposed to take responsibility for the work, and as a result, the collection is the product of that blessed meeting."

The book “The Memoirs of Ayatollah Mostajabi” along with documents, handwritings and pictures, with an interesting and fluent narration, draws the reader to the heart of history. In the “Introduction” section, it reflects an interview with Ayatollah Mostajabi in 17 pages. In this section, he details the movement to nationalize the oil industry.

Regarding the character of Ayatollah Kashani and his role in the movement of oil industry nationalization, Ayatollah Mostajabi says, “…the relentless efforts of Ayatollah Kashani and accompaniment of the pro-Mosadegh minority in the Majlis (parliament) was led to oil nationalization. In this relation, even Ayatollah Kashani had said: I myself wear the combat suit and shout at the streets along with people. Such activities caused Mosadegh to succeed in nationalization of the oil industry...” He then continues, “… Ayatollah Kashani was a mujtahid who spent his entire life fighting the British. He was brave and courageous and made many sacrifices, including supporting the poor. He also fought against the opponents of Islam and was imprisoned and tortured in this way. Before his death, Mohammad Reza Shah had gone to visit him. When the Shah saw the gentleman sleeping in a damp room on an ordinary bed, he was very affected. He faced with the Shah and started advising him. Of course, the Shah gave a check to reach him. But he immediately refused it. He was never material ...”

The two-volume book "Memoirs of Ayatollah Mostajabi" has been compiled in a seven sections in total. Two sections with the titles: "Family background" and "Letters and correspondence of Imam Musa Sadr's family with Ayatollah Mostajabi" in the first volume of the book, and five other sections with the titles: "Introduction", "Najaf Ashraf contemporaries", "Letters of ulema, politicians" And the authors to Ayatollah Mostajabi "," Literary Mostajabi in the field of poetry and literature "and" Ayatollah Mostajabi in the mirror of images "can be seen in the second volume.

The book "Memoirs of Ayatollah Mostajabi" has been compiled by Amir Qanbari in 944 pages. It was released in summer 1399 (2021).