Memoirs for seventy years
Elham Saleh
Translated by Fazel Shirzad
2016-09-18
The book "In the Way of Knowledge"* is a review of life and memoirs of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi who told his memories for more than seven decades. The book is provided in the form of a dialogue and it is an instance of the books in the field of oral history.
The narrator of the book speaks about the life of Shirazi's family, fatwa for tobacco sanction, studying in the seminary (religious school) of Najaf and Tehran, the high School of Sepahsalar, legal science teaching, meeting with Imam Khomeini in Najaf and Paris, details of being assassinated by Al-Furqan group on Tir 23th 1358 (July 1979), and hospitalization in the hospitals of Iran and America, he have seen these events or other have told him.
Loyalty to the words of Interviewee
The book "In the Way of Knowledge" is result of several interviews that Mohammad Rahimi, who is the student of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi, is responsible for its initial preparation. Interviewee in the book, as mentioned in the introduction, quoted various subjects in stories and there is not any left issue. But expression of different issue caused to edit the book by Morteza Rasoulpour. For example, the full primacy and recency of contents in term of events are arranged, and words frequently deleted or added to result a more coherent form for content. The important point is that despite the revision, the language and the tune of the narrator is kept, and the author adheres to the tune and the expression of interviewee.
The book includes memoirs of seven decades that it generalizes memoirs inasmuch as there are different topics; personal memoirs and also memoirs about the events of Iran. One of the memoirs of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi is about the being occupied of Iran by the Allies:" I remember, when Ayatollah Abu al-Hasan Isfahani was one of the religious authorities of Iran and I was a student of religious school, he could only distribute breads. The coupons of bread were available by bakeries for students of religious school to buy bread, but it was very difficult to prepare the bread. Some scholars pawn dishes and furniture to prepare oil and meat.
In this book, there are some words about the influence of the late Ayatollah Boroujerdi and political reactions of authorities of Pahlavi regime and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to him." As contemporary politicians and government officials, his Influence was not hidden, and they try to be careful about him and did not do something against him. As long as he was alive, the government tried to tolerate seminaries and to reach an agreement with them. "(Page 87)
But this article is not one-sided words, but it is also explained about second aspect of the issue i.e. the behavior of Ayatollah Boroujerdi against the government:" he used to keep his reputation and personality and he never follow the government's authorities. I remember, and it is also written in books, when Mr. Boroujerdi began to construct Azam Mosque in Qom, the King Mohammad Reza Shah sent a cheque for one million dollars him to build the mosque. He didn’t accept the cheque, and responded to the king that the mosque will be made by people (Page 87).
Writings and personal memoirs
Some of the memoirs are more personal ones that "the description of the assassination of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi in July 1358" is one of these memoirs:" he said: Syed Razi Shirazi? I do not know him at all, also I don't know about the possibility of assassination. I stood there and said myself: It is better to talk him, perhaps he made a mistake and wants something. The time was passing quickly and he wanted to fire immediately. I raised my hands and tried to stop the gun, and when I was going to say him Why he wanted to shoot, he fired and my hand was injured, and I found my hands in pool of blood"(P. 156).
This memoir is related to time when he was going to America to be cured, and in more memoirs, issues such as praying in the mosque in the absence of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi, returning to the mosque to pray and curriculum of the mosque are mentioned. Some of the final topics of the book consist of a method for providing and writing philosophical book, especially a description for the book Haji Mulla Hadi Sabzevari and the book Alasfar by Mulla Sadra that are written by Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi and his works in field of jurisprudence, principles and interpretation of the Quran.
In fact, the book "in the way of knowledge" is about both historical events of Iran and life and career of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi.
Footnotes, content list, photos
The book also consists of notes that has more information for readers. For example, one of the footnotes is dedicated to the story of Seyed Razi Shirazi in the assassination in 1358 when he sought help from people. Although the notes can be usual and boring, but they are specific practical tips for readers.
The book "in the way of knowledge" also consists of content list that it is usually ignored in some of books. But, by using this section, the book help the readers to find contents quickly.
The Section of documents and photos also contains photos such as travel to Tajikistan and meet with the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church, congregational prayer in the mosque Shafa, with Shia people of India, teaching to students and a photo after assassinated at Pars Hospital of Tehran.
Some of the other documents of the book includes: the massage of Imam Khomeini for assassination of Ayatollah Shirazi, to get permission from Ayatollah Seyed Hasan Rafie Qazvini for ijtihad and report of third central organization of SAVAK section 316.
Questions of book
The first question of each interview open a way for reader. Accordingly, making questions, especially first question, should be considered. The book "in the way of knowledge" is started with this question:" as the first question, could you say please when is your birthday? And could you speak about your family and relatives! "
Each interviewer should already have enough information about interviewee to have compressive interview. The first question of the book that is provided in the form of questions and answers (interview), make a mentality in the readers as if the interviewer didn't have such information about interviewee to complete and correct information well.
Besides this issue, the question is a general question; therefore it leads to a general answer. Although the questions of the book "in the way of knowledge" is sometimes general questions, but there is an appropriate process to make them. The interviewer participates in the interview actively, that is, he should consider to answers of Ayatollah Shirazi carefully and find questions from his answers. Such as: "you came to the point about Alavi Board. Where was its place and what was your role in it?"(Page 105).
Some questions are too general (talk, a little, about cultural and promotional activities of mosque Shafa, according to climate of society in the years 1340 and 1350 (1961 and 1971) and also the direction of your doctrinaire classes!). But the questions become detailed ones that it is a good factor.(Making a library for the young students and students of university is one of the actions in the mosque Shafa. In general, what are importance and role of the library and other activities of the mosque, in those days? Page 127)
* The book "in the way of knowledge": A review of life and memoirs of Ayatollah Seyed Razi Shirazi, interviewer and researcher: Mohammad Rahimi, writer and editor: Morteza Rasoulpour, Tehran, office of Islamic Revolution Literature Art and publication Sureh Mehr, 1395 (2016), 232 pages
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