Ayatollah Taleghani at Hedayat Mosque

There is no doubt that Hedayat mosque in Tehran, located at the conjunction of Jomhouri and Lalehzar Streets played a significant role in religious-political activities before the Islamic revolution. The second volume of the two volume book (1) about Hedayat mosque, has examined the significant role of this mosque in the past few decades. 

The significance of Hedayat mosque is in its prayer leader, Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani. First, when he was appointed as the prayer leader of the mosque, the mosque was merely a small place which held Muharram mourning ceremonies. Since, the mosque was both next to Park movie hall at Istanbul St. and close to Lalehzar St. which was a popular hang our place in Tehran for people those days, it was considered as a strategic place for cultivating the Islamic culture and fighting for it. Ayatollah Taleghani, being open minded, having a modern approach towards religious thinking and knowing his audience, managed to draw the attention of many from different strata, especially students and academicians. He officially started his activities with establishing Hedayat mosque in 1948. In the 50s, he founded the Association of Muslim Students. It was around the 60s that he highlighted the cultural, social and, political role of the mosque. And, in the 70s, despite being sent to jail and exiled, he continued fighting until the revolution.

In order to revive the religious way of thinking and, awakening the society, he started to conduct secret Quran sessions at homes to provide the grounds for more elaborate and public meetings. In conducting the Quran lessons, he followed the path of his master, ayatollah Mirza Khalil Kamareh’i. These meetings were held secretly until the fall of Reza Khan and his exile in 1940s, and continued in Muhammad Reza Pahlavi’s reign. Hedayat mosque stood up against the Pahlavi’s regime by training the opposition forces in accordance with Islamic values and goals. He settled in Hedayat mosque in 1948 and started to train people. Hedayat mosque is undoubtedly the oldest revolutionary religious center which was the base for Taleghani’s cultural and political activities. Back then, the mosque was almost next to night clubs and, bars of Tehran.

Taleghani’s endeavor for two decades to conduct Quran sessions and train young opposition forces, gave a new meaning to both the sessions and the mosque. Before Taleghani setteled in Hedayat mosque he constantly had to move the sessions from one place to another. With Hedayat mosque, Taleghani’s activities found a home. During these years, Taleghani got so tied to the mosque that each one defined the other. Thanks to Taleghani’s sincerity, knowledge and wisdom, Hedayat mosque was transformed into the base for freedom fighters and many revolutionary figures such as Rajai, Bahonar, Chamran, Habibi, Sheibani and many others who fought for the revolution. He drew all groups and political figures to himself. Even the left and right non-religious groups, believed that keeping their ties with Taleghani was for their interests and saw him as the key to have access to nationalist groups, religious societies and even, non religious groups. Martyr Chamran, when talking about the mosque states: “That small society (the Quran sessions), with high objectives, was like a rescue ship in the storm of political crisis of those times. It was the ship which rescued us from drawing.” Martyr Rajai believes: “Taleghani played the most crucial role in the movement before the rise of Imam Khomeini.”
The government of the time, limiting the recruitment of religious societies, had all the religious gatherings under surveillance. Ayatollah Taleghani, expanded the horizons of the fight against the regime through these Quran lessons in which by interpreting Quran he taught young people how to rise against the oppressive regime. The most important of his activities were interpreting the Quran and speaking against the regime. Ali Hojjati Kermani describes the activity of this mosque as follows: “I know martyr Chamran from Hedayat mosque. Hedayat mosque was basically the base for freedom fighters. Most of the students and academicians who were against there regime, used to attend Taleghani’s Quran sessions in the mosque. From Qom Seminary (Hawzah-e-Qom), I and brother Khosroshahi were regulars there.” Ayatollah Taleghani used to invite figures such as Motahhari, Bahonar, Mohammad Taghi Shariati and Bazargan to have lectures there. Despite SAVAK’s surveillance, revolutionary issues were also addressed there.”

Hedayat Mosque was undoubtedly the most politically active mosque at the time. The Friday Quran sessions were utmost exciting with all the youngsters and the students. One of these students says: “Religious figures and students started to know one another gradually. After Taleghani’s lecture was over, people would stay there for an hour and talk politics. Others would gather around ayatollah Taleghani and asked him questions.”

One of the prominent functions of mosques throughout the contemporary history of Iran has been public service and charitable activities. Mohammad Javad Raja’eian states: “Mr. Taleghani felt responsible towards financial, mental and health problems of the public. Taleghani was surrounded by people were everywhere, from hospitals to charity organizations.” At the time of natural disasters such as earthquake or flood, people from different strata and occupations would be organized in this mosque. After collecting all the donated goods and money, the team used to directly go to the site. They proved their genuine intentions by helping out the survivors and helping out in the construction projects.

One of the prominent subjects discussed consistently in the mosque sessions was the political issues of the world, especially that of Palestine. Ayatollah Taleghani has appointed Mohammad Hanifnejhad to arrange for the money raised for Palestine to be delivered to Palestinian bases. With regards to this issue, Lotfollah Meysami Says: “I remember, it was the Fitr feast 1979. Taleghani’s father collected all the charity money (Zakat Al-Fitr) and gave to Hanifnejhad. Hanifnejhad appointed me to deliver the money to Palestine. When the money was delivered to Al-Fath Soldiers, the leader of the brotherhood of that base had said that although, that money was much lesser than the Arabic dollars they had received, its value was much more to them.

Many were against the measures ayatollah Taleghani took for the Palestinians. The regime, tried to take advantage of this situation and cause schism. With regards to this issue, Mohammad Sadegh Tabatabai says: “At that very time when Taleghani was sending the money collected from Zakat Al-Fitr to Palestine, many objected to him by saying that while there were poverty and hunger in our own country, sending financial help for Palestine did not make any sense. However, he followed an ideology which was very common among Shi’a clergies: they all believed in unity.”
The activities in Hedayat mosque was reduced after Taleghani was exiled to Zabol in 1971. However, active members of the sessions held grounds for the mosque. Finally, the pleasure of SAVAK caused the mosque to temporarily close down in 1972. After that, although the mosque was reopened, the time for the cultural, political and social activities there was over. Eventually, in 1978, ayatollah Taleghani took over the mosque as the revolution was gaining more power.

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(1)The Center for the Analysis of Historical Documents, Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of Iran, has begun to publish the documents of the SAVAK in a book series. So far, three volumes of which two are about Hedayat mosque have been published.

(2011, March 5). Taleghani at Hedayat Mosque. the Roozegar Daily, P. 11.

By: Mahmood Fazeli
Translated by: Jairan Gahan