Historic sign on debates raised in religious seminaries

The first writing of martyr Mofatteh ‎

Jafar Golshan Roghani
Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan

2016-9-18

After learning from his father Hojjat-al Eslam Mirza Mahmoud Mofatteh ‎part of religious sciences literature, Martyr Ayatollah Mohammad Mofatteh ‎‎(June 17, 1928 – December 18, 1979) decided to continue his education in ‎religious sciences with the completion of his elementary school. He entered ‎the seminary of Akhund Molla Ali Ma'soumi in his birthplace in Hamedan ‎around the year 1941 in order to learn religious sciences. After learning part ‎of religious sciences, he felt necessary to continue his education in a better ‎school and with more prominent professors. Thus, following consulting ‎with his father, friends, and professors, he left his birthplace for the holy ‎city of Qom in 1945. He started studying in Dar-al Shafa School under such ‎prominent scholars as Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi, Mohaqeq Damad, ‎Seyed Mohammad Reza Golpaygani, Allamah Tabatabaee, and Imam ‎Khomeini (God bless his soul), and promoted to the degree of Ijtehad or ‎independent reasoning based on Holy Qur'an and Prophet's Hadith. During ‎his education, he married Mrs. Fatemeh Jaber Ansari in 1949. ‎
His presence in the holy city of Qom and studying in the field of religious ‎sciences created special conditions for him. Apart from educational issues ‎and learning religious sciences from prominent scholars, the thriving ‎scientific atmosphere, and much debate and the dynamic atmosphere of the ‎clergies who were interested in social and religious issues provided the ‎grounds for him to pay more attention to social issues in linking with ‎religious ones in a way that his knowledge and presence boosted this arena. ‎He also turned to writing and found out that it was sometimes necessary to ‎write articles and comment on legal, social and political issues. This ‎dynamic atmosphere in the city of Qom caused the young Mofatteh to make ‎familiar with the press and journals published in the community of that ‎period (1940s). Therefore, he decided to publish his interested issues in the ‎journals. Thus his first article was published in 1946.‎
Influenced by the cultural and social atmosphere ruling over the society in ‎‎1940s especially the increasing growth and expansion of groups and ‎associations and the presence of religious figures in contrast to the wave of ‎promotion of atheism and irreligion, he felt necessary to write a frank article ‎in one of the religious journals about the issue of Hijab (veiling) and the ‎necessity of safeguarding Hijab and standing against unveiling. Thus, given ‎the Parcham-e Eslam Daily headed by Dr. Abdulkarim Faqihi Shirazi had a ‎reputation among the interested people in religious issues, he found out that ‎the grounds were ready to publish an article in this regard.‎
Thus, in issue 33 of Parcham-e Eslam Daily (28th of November 1942), he ‎wrote an article entitled "The harms of Kashf-e Hijab or unveiling from the ‎viewpoint of society and its corruption" and signed at the bottom. ‎Undoubtedly, this was the first writing of martyr Mofatteh at the age of 18. ‎In fact, he started writing in his youth and with higher courage, commented ‎on the legal and social aspects of veiling and unveiling in a solid writing. It ‎can be said that the article showed the basis for his thinking and was proof ‎of his concerns and thinking in the first of year of his presence in Qom ‎Seminary. Also, it can be guessed that it suggested the atmosphere ruling ‎over Qom seminaries especially among the clergies and scholars toward ‎social issues. In other words, it was a turning point in the debates raised in ‎religious seminaries which approved the need to counter against the Kashf-e ‎Hijab and promotion of atheism.‎
Of course, it can be claimed that the article of the young Mofatteh is among ‎the first writings and the public reaction of the writers and religious activists ‎and scholars in this regard which can be considered as the pioneers of this ‎arena.             ‎