Teacher Day commemorates Morteza Motahari

May 2 is Teacher Day in Iran. It is also the anniversary of the assassination of the great philosopher and politician Ayatollah Morteza Motahari.

Ayatollah Morteza Motahari who was born in 1299 in Fariman, Khorasan Razavi Province was an Iranian scholar, Alim, university lecturer, and politician.

Martyr Ayatollah Motahari is one of distinguished figures in the Muslim world whose outstanding personality has earned him an everlasting place in the Islamic history.

He is considered among the important influences on the ideologies of “Islamic Republic”.

Motahari’s character had basically been formed by his father, the process which was done in his childhood and later he took the advantage of the other professors and teacher.

Ayatollah Ol-Ozma Haj Aqa Hossein Borojerdy, Ayatollah Mirza Ali Aqa Shirazi who was a pious scholar of Isfahan, Allameh Sayyed Mohammad Hosein Tabatabaee and Ayatollah Ol- Ozma Imam Khomeini were among his outstanding professors who had influenced his character.

The professor Motahari did his best to form the Muslim and combatant forces so that he could keep the pure policy of the revolution and the associated leadership.

Professor Mottahhari was arrested several times by Savak (the now-defunct Pahlavi regime) for his revealing speeches along with 50 outstanding Tehran’s Alims.

Professor Motaharri’s activities in“ Hosseiniyeh Ershad”, “ Masjed (mosque) Javid” and “ Masjed Aljavad (the important mosques) were his climax of cultural activities between 1963- 19 71 (1342 – 1350).

In 1969 (1348) and at the time of the savage attacks of the Zionist regime on the Arabic countries and the outbreak of a 6-day war between the Israelis and the Arabs, he accompanied by the Late Allameh Tabatabaee and “ Ayatollah Haj. Abolfazl Moosavi Zanjani through release of a statement, invited people to supply the Palestinian Muslims with the necessary aid.

During 1971-76 (1350-55) which was influenced by the severe strangulation of the ruling regime, the revolutionary centers were closed one after the other.

Professor Motahharri began to form secret gatherings in Tehran and Qom. His audience was students of universities and scholars. He aimed to promote resistance, help the families of Muslim political detainees and author books on guidance of the young generation.

He played an important role in unifying the two classes of the students of the universities and the Alims to the extent that his speeches and sessions, served to be a threatening factor for the ousted regime.

Before the victory of the revolution, especially in the second half of 1978 which he had very heavy responsibilities, he did not neglect the task of promulgating the revolutionary Islamic culture.

The awareness of young generation was an important aim of professor Motahari and he has written so many books for them, including “Dastan-e Rastan” which received award from UNESCO in 1965.

Motahari has also written many books on Islam, Iran, and historical topics. He did mostly work on giving lectures about Islam rather than writing books. However, after his death, some of his students worked on writing these lectures and manage them in order to publish them as books.

Finally this man who was a scientist and the symbol of resistance, and the combatant who would never give up became martyred by the most ignorant enemies of Islam and revolution or in another words ” Forqan ” group at 22:30 , April 30,1979 (Ordibehesht 11, 1358).

The founder of Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini said about him:

“… Although his life was too short, he had left us with the invaluable heritage, which was a shining part of a clear conscience and a soul full of love toward the Islamic ideology.

He started to teach and educate the people in the society through his skills in writing, and the powerful thought on the analysis of the Islamic issues and explanation of the philosophical facts, according to common people’s style without any sign of unrest.

His written and oral works are all informative and can guide the people’s spirits. His positions and pieces of advice which originally came from his heart was full of true belief and Islamic ideology suits the mystic as well as the common people.”

List of works (not exhaustive)

1 – Tohid (The oneness of God)
2 – Adl -e- Elahi
3 – Nobowat
4 – Ma’ad (The return)
5 – Hamase -e- Husaini
6 – Seiry dar nahj al-balagha
7 – Seiry dar sirey’e a’emeye at-har
8 – Seiry dar sirey’e nabavi
9 – Insan -e- Kamel
10 – Payambar -e- Ommi
11 – Osool -e Falsafa va ravesh -e- Realism (The principles of Philosophy and the method of Realism)
12 – Sharh -e- Manzume (A description done by Motahari on Manzume which is an old philosophical poem written by Mulla Hadi Sabzevary)
13 – Imamat va rahbary
14 – Dah Goftar (A selection of 10 articles of Motahari)
15 – Bist Goftar (A selection of 20 articles of Motahari)
16- Panzdah Goftar (A selection of 15 articles of Motahari)
17 – Azadi -e- Ma’navi
18 – Ashneya’ei ba Quran (Being familiar with Quran)
19 – Ayande -e- Enghlab -e- Islami (The future of the Islamic Revolution)
20 – Ehyaye Tafakor -e- Islami
21 – Akhlagh -e- Jensi
22 – Islam va niazha -ye- Jahan
23 – Emdadhaye gheibi dar zendegi -e- bashar
24 – Ensan va sarenevesht
25 – Panj maghale
26 – Ta’lim va tarbiyat dar Islam
27 – Jazebe va dafe’eye Ali
28 – Jehad
29 – Haj
30 – Hekmat-ha va andarz-ha
31 – Khatemiyat
32 – Khatm -e- Nobowat
33 – Khadamat -e- moteghabel -e- Islam va Iran
34 – Dastan -e- Rastan
35 – Darshaye Asfar
37 – Shesh maghale
38 – Erfan -e- Hafez
39 – Elale gerayesh be madigary
40 – Fetrat
41 – Falsafe -ye- Akhlagh
42 – Falsafe -ye- Tarikh
43 – Ghiam va enghelab -e- Mahdi
44 – Koliyat -e- olume Islami
45 – Goft va gooye chahar shanbe
46 – Masaleye Hejab
47 – Masaleye Reba
48 – Masaleye Shenakht
49 – Maghalate falsafi (A selection of Philosophical articles written by Motahari)
50 – Moghadameyi bar jahanbiniye Islami (Consists of 6 different books written about this subject)
51 – Nabard -e- hagh va batel
52 – Nezam -e- hoghoghe zan dar Islam
53 – Nazari bar nezame eghtesadiye Islam
54 – Naghdi bar Marxism
55 – Nehzat-haye Islami dar 100 sale akhir
56 – Vela’ha va velayat-ha
57 – Azadegi
58 – Ayineye Jam (Hafez Diwan with Motahari’s notations)