Memories of the wife of the martyr Seyyed Mohammad Ali Jahanara

About their wedding ceremony

Selected by: Fariba Almasi
Translated by Mandana Karimi

2025-10-15

Mohammad called and we talked about the date of the official wedding. We agreed to have a simple wedding at our house on August 31, which was also his birthday. Of course, this coincidence was by chance, not planned. On the morning of the wedding, Mohammad came. He bought the fruit for the ceremony, and I had bought the sweets the day before. That day he wore a white shirt that was not new either. Later he said: "I didn't have a shirt myself, and the shirt I was wearing belonged to my uncle." He was also wearing trousers, which he said he had gotten from his uncle. He was not wearing a coat either. He had thrown the shirt over his trousers. Mohammad mostly wore linen and did not have shoes. For that day, he had gone to buy a pair of black shoes from the Seyyed Ismail Bazaar in Tehran. He had not gone to the hairdresser's either. I went to the hairdresser's alone, but not with the intention of getting dressed for the wedding ceremony. I just wanted to straighten my hair a little. The barbershop was so busy that I did not manage to do it. I just blow-dried my hair and did not touch my face at all, and I was in my usual state, without a single bit of makeup. My thinking was such that I did not see any need for this. I can say that this issue did not matter to Mohammad either.

For the wedding, Mohammad’s mother, two sisters, two aunts, and a number of acquaintances from Khorramshahr came. None of his brothers came. His father did not come either. I also invited seven or eight of my colleagues. My mother and sisters were there, but my eldest brother Akbar did not come, but my second brother Hussein did.[1]

Our house was 145 square meters and was a duplex. The men—who were not many—went upstairs to the second floor, and the women were downstairs. Mohammad’s family picked up a metal tray and, as is customary, began to play and recite local poems. I was upset. I went and called Mohammad from upstairs and said, “Tell them something! This can’t be done!” He said, “Go tell Alia!” I said, “Alia is a party to the matter herself!” He said, “Now you go tell her.” I called Alia and told her, and she handled the story.

The marriage solemnizer, Mr. “Mehdipour,” was the father of one of my university classmates. I had not invited her. Mr. Zamani, Mohammad’s aunt’s husband, had called the marriage solemnizer. He was a friends of Mr. Mehdipour’s son-in-law, and through that, he had brought him to the wedding. I recognized him at the ceremony. My classmate had also been informed about my marriage through his father. The marriage solemnizer was upstairs with the men, and I was downstairs.

Before the wedding began, Mr. Basirzadeh, Mohammad’s cousin’s husband, who was a good reciter, recited the Quran. When the sermon was read, my brother came down and said, “They told me to come and ask you; I am your lawyer.” I said, “Yes,” and he went up. When the men’s prayers began, I realized that the wedding sermon had begun.

Mohammad bought me a platinum ring worth five hundred Tomans (five thousand Rials). He did not buy a ring himself. The ring was in front of me. “Tahereh Taleghani,” the daughter of Ayatollah Taleghani, who was one of my guests, put the ring on my finger. When the sermon was read I took the ring and put it on my finger, when my friends said, “Tahereh Khanum is a Sayyedah! Let her put this ring on your finger.” No one from Mohammad’s family gave any gifts.

The ceremony lasted two hours, and gradually the guests said goodbye and left. Mohammad stayed. We were supposed to go outside to take a walk. Before leaving, he gave me an envelope as a wedding gift. One of my sisters, who was a secretary, gave me a gift of clothes. I thanked them and we left the house with Mohammad. When we got in the car, I looked inside the envelope. It was five thousand Tomans. Mohammad laughed and jokingly said, “We’ve earned enough for a month’s expenses.” I turned around and said, “I am not touching this money! I want to return it.” Mohammad just said, “Whatever you want.” The reason for the decision was that he did not give religious money and was not obsessed with earning money, and I did not want to bring his money into my new life. When I returned home, I gave the envelope to my mother and said, “Mohammad and I agreed not to accept gifts from anyone.” The next day, one of my friends came to visit me, and I gave him my sister’s gift as a gift, because he did not pay Khums[2] either.

That day, Mohammad and I went to Tajrish. I remember Mohammad bought some kebab from a kebab shop and brought them into the car, and that was our dinner. At around midnight, he dropped me off at home and left.

The next day, we went to Alia’s house with Mohammad. Siddiqah, Mohammad’s other aunt, was also there. I remember that day she told Mohammad, “Be careful, Mohammad! No one can separate you from us!” Mohammad did not say anything. I was upset. When we left, I said to Mohammad, “Why did your aunt say that? Did she mean me?” Mohammad said, “Do not take it too seriously! They have a special interest in me and said that on purpose.” This incident was repeated once again at Mohammad’s cousin’s house. She told Mohammad, “We used to see you a lot more, but since you got married, we do not see you anymore.” This time, Mohammad replied, “Dad, my wife does not see me, let alone those who are around!”[3]