بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

الحمد لله رب العالمین

و صلی الله علی محمد

و آله اجمعین لا سیما علی حجة

ابن الحسن روحی و ارواح العالمین

لتراب مقدمه الفداء

Ayatollah Haj Sayyed Hassan Abtahi (May Allah grant him longevity) is one of the contemporary Islamic scholars. He was born in a religious family in Mashad in 1935 (1314). He was so talented that he learned the holy Quran at the age of six in a traditional school (He said, “I never forget the day that I finished Quran. It was on September 11, 1941 when the Allies had entered Iran and the situation was very unsafe”). Then his father sent him to Tadayyon elementary school in Mashad that was established by the late ayatollah Haj Sheikh Gholamhossein Tabrizi (Abde Khodaee). He finished the elementary school and at the age of fifteen, he entered Nawab theological school in Mashad to study Arabic language and literature. Then he entered Khorasan theological school and his respected father let him be a clergy when he was a teenager.

After finishing his studies in Mashad theological school, he moved to Qum theological school in 1952 to enjoy the masters in Jurisprudence and Fundamentals. For the issues such as the basis of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals, he took part in the classes of ayatollah Boroojerdi, ayatollah Khomeini, ayatollah Shariatmadari, and ayatollah Damad (God bless their souls) since 1955.

Besides, he entered the realm of politics at the youth ages in a way that he became one of the intimate friends of Nawab Safavi, leader of Islam Devotees group, and was accompanying him until the last days of his praiseworthy life. About his familiarity with the late Nawab Safavi, ayatollah Abtahi stated, “I had heard that someone called Ahmad Kasrawi had insulted the Islamic beliefs and had been banished from Islam by the Najaf religious jurists. Then the late ayatollah haj Sayyed Abolhassan Isfahani commanded the late Nawab Safavi to come to Iran to kill Kasrawi. He followed as commanded, came to Iran, and chased Kasrawi along the street but he resorted to a police station. At last, Nawab killed him with a knife that he had in his hand right in front of the police. Therefore, they took him in Ghasr jail and I, together with the late Sharif Raazi, went there to meet him and he received me kindly and our intimacy continued until the late martyr Khalil Tahmasbi, one of the Islam Devotees members, killed Ali Razmara, the prime minister of Shah’s regime, in the commemoration ceremony of ayatollah Feiz in Shah mosque in Tehran. It was the time when ayatollah Kashani returned Tehran and Dr. Mosaddegh became the prime minister and ayatollah Kashani became the chief of the national parliament. Then the late Nawab Safavi was released from the jail and I got involved with the revolution. I had many helpful journeys along with the late Nawab Safavi and I remember that I, along with the martyr Khalil Tahmasbi and the late ayatollah Sharif Raazi, set out for Kashan to pave the way for the martyr Nawab Safavi.

Due to the imprisonment of the members of Islam Devotees Group and also due to the downgrading political role of ayatollah Kashani, ayatollah Abtahi moved to Iraq by a nickname in 1956 and attended the classes of ayatollah Shahroodi, ayatollah Hakim, ayatollah Khoee, and ayatollah Sayyed Abdolhadi Shirazi. Later, due to the significance status of ayatollah Boroojerdi and the other great scholars of Qum, ayatollah Abtahi came to the idea to return Qum.

He returned Qum, took part in the classes of ayatollah Boroojerdi, and stayed there up to the departure of ayatollah Boroojerdi. He was also given the Islamic Jurisprudential degree (Ejtehad).

After the departure of ayatollah Boroojerdi, ayatollah Abtahi returned to his home city, Mashad, and devoted himself to the religious affairs: building mosques and theological schools, managing four theological schools in Mashad, and training religious scholars and preachers. He built a mosque by the name of Saheb al-Zaman in Saadabad area in Mashad where used to be the gathering center for the astray Bahai society.

He foiled their activities and made them sparse; even the names of the square in front of the mosque and the street leading to the mentioned square were legally changed into Saheb al-Zaman. Although the prime minister at that time, Hoveida, who was a Bahai himself and was influential over Shah was in power, Ayatollah Abtahi did not desist changing the names and making that society sparse. This event, issuing the allowance to change the names, caused the dismissal of the Khorasan’s governor.

However, ayatollah Abtahi has saved the name Saheb al-Zaman for the mosque, square, and street up to the present time.

Up to 1962, he led the praying rituals in so many mosques in Mashad such as Barqiha, Saheb al-Zaman, and Hossein ibn-Ali (p.b.u.h).

Ayatollah Haj Sayyed Hassan Abtahi faced a lot of limitations during the Shah’s regime for representing Islamic teachings. Every week, he sent two hundred theological scholars to the villages around Mashad to enlighten the people. This happened simultaneously with the Shah’s “White revolution” which was opposed by the theological scholars.

In 1962, he founded the center of the religious discussion and criticism. His purpose by establishing such a center was based on the fact that if the youth ask their questions, and talk about their problems and if they get correct answers, they will be steadier in their beliefs.

Therefore, in the span of forty years- up to now – at least thirty thousands ideological and philosophical questions were answered every week. Most of these questions were kept and later were published in tens of volumes as the questions that the center of the religious discussion and criticism had answered.

From 1962 to 1964, the center of the religious discussion and criticism was located in the old Shahrezano Street in a rental building, offering the cultural programs as well as answering the questions. Then the center moved to Shohadaa intersection, in front of Naderi garden and in a building that had been endowed by one of the respected merchants. This opportunity facilitated the advancement of the activities. In 1968 that the Saheb al-Zaman mosque was built, this center moved to the upper floor of the mosque that was a large hall suitable for public events and their activities were in great areas until 1977.

Up to 1978, ayatollah Abtahi designed a special program for tourists who came from western countries to the Middle East and especially to Iran. Despite the political pressures and limitations of that time, he persuaded them to investigate about Islam and introduced it to them.

So he provided invitations accompanied with a complete map of Iran, led tourists from different parts of Iran borders to Mashad , led them to the old building of Religious Discussion and Criticizing Center, and in the presence of different translators, began to talk with them and answered their questions.

Hundreds of people went there and a majority of them converted to Islam; among them there were some Christians, communists, and other followers of different religions and beliefs whose pictures and stories have been published in some books of Religious Discussion and Criticizing Center. Here are some pictures, brief stories, and their handwritings.

In 1978, one of the respected residents of Mashad endowed a land of one thousand meters to be used for a three floors building for Kanoon; however, the security organization of Shah’s regime banned the procedure of Kanoon’s construction. This caused ayatollah Abtahi to put up the land for sale. Devoid of any legal permission, he built the present building of Kanoon right beside Saheb al-Zaman mosque in Saheb al-Zaman square in Mashad. Nevertheless, the first grand opening of Kanoon’s hall encountered with the first day of public restrictive rules of before the Islamic revolution of Iran. As a result, Savak (security organization) closed the center until the victory of the Islamic revolution that it reactivated.

Many valuable efforts were made by the center of religious discussion and criticism until 1995. In 1995, ayatollah Sayyed Hassan Abtahi moved to Tehran and Qum to promote Islamic issues; however, his less participation at Kanoon’s sessions and meetings made some of the governors assume the center as a closed inactive one. On the other hand, it was the rule to entrust the center to the charity at any time that the center stopped its activities. So, Mr. Dorri Najafabadi, the minister of the information organization, was informed of this matter and all the properties of this center were sent to Qum propaganda office. By the way, ayatollah Abtahi didn’t let the center be closed since Kanoon was a legally registered institution. (That was all about the building and properties belonging to Kanoon in Mashad and Tehran).

For admiring the scientific values and pious characters, and despite of many limitations posed by Shah’s regime, ayatollah Abtahi invited great religious and political characters to the center (Kanoon) where they presented lectures or rendered their answers to the religious and political questions and problems. Among them, the late Hasheminezhad, the late Dr. Beheshti, the late ayatollah Bahonar, ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, and ayatollah Jafar Sobhani can be mentioned. Due to such a critical responsibility, ayatollah Abtahi had to respond the security officers in all the affairs. In the book “The collection of the works by Imam’s companions” that is based on Savak’s documents and published by the information organization, after a preface it declares, “Sayyed Hassan Abtahi is showing many activities in Mashad where he has established a center called The Center Of Religious Discussion And Criticism in which the youth’s questions are answered.

 Sayyed Karim Hasheminezhad is cooperating him as well. These two have also established a new school to settle in the scholars”.

The late martyr ayatollah Dr. Beheshti’s striking lecture encouraged ayatollah Abtahi to keep continuing the affairs of Kanoon. The discipline and regulation of the sessions had amazed him in a way that he sent somebody after his son to see the existing discipline.

The late hojjatol-Islam Mr. Sayyed Mohammad-Ali Vaziri, the founder of the great Vaziri library in Yazd, was stunned by the answering the questions so that he left a note in the memory book of the center and remembered highly of the center.

The late Dr. Kaleb Abed Naqavi Hendi, the principal of the Islamic university in Ali Qereh, India, delivered a lecture and appreciated Kanoon’s activities and regarded it as a unique center in the world of Islam.

Mr. Haj Abdoljabbar Akhoond Mirza Ali, the Friday prayer Imam of Agh-ghala (Sunnite), took part in the session of 15^th Sha’aban while he was really touched by ayatollah Abtahi’s speeches.

 Mr. Haj Bayram Akhoond Salaagh (Sunnite) is one of those converted to Islam by the center of religious discussion and criticism.

The jurists visited and promoted the center and through their financial social supports, they addressed the people to the center.

The late ayatollah Milani was one of those jurists who obviously supported Kanoon and at Shah’s regime; he regarded Kanoon as a sample center for other centers.

The late ayatollah Haj Sayyed Abdollah Shirazi and his sons were recurrently taking part in Kanoon’s sessions and appreciated ayatollah Abtahi’s efforts.

The late Haj Sayyed Kazem Shariatmadari visited Kanoon whenever that he left for Mashad as a pilgrimage. His honor appreciated all the efforts made by Kanoon’s founder.

The late Haj Sayyed Mohammad-Reza Golpayegani visited Kanoon once in a while and appreciated ayatollah Abtahi’s works.

Ayatollah Abtahi enlightened the youth about the oppressions of Shah’s regime in Kanoon which turned to be a headquarters for struggling against the oppression and corruption of shah’s regime. That is why he was chased by Investigation Organization at that time, even this caused the center to be closed for some time and they had to stop the procedure of their momentous actions.

After the revolution, his honor cooperated with the politicians and religious scholars, but above all, he wanted to stabilize the Islamic beliefs among the Muslims. Ayatollah Abtahi believes that if the youth’s beliefs are stabilized and if the governors purify their souls, they will have stronger faith in the importance of ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution which was based on the true Islamic basis. It will help them not only enjoy the revolution but also promote it all over the world under the patronage of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him).

He also believes that if the entire Shiite people obey the status of the Jurisprudential leadership (Velayat Faqih), if they regard the Jurisprudential leader as the successor or deputy of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him), and if the issue of Jurisprudential leadership is respected by Shiite people, then no damage or harm will ever touch either the Muslims or the Islamic countries.

Besides his hard works relating to Kanoon, ayatollah Abtahi established a library where was visited by many scholars. He also founded other branches of the Religious Discussion and Criticizing center in other cities such as Qum, Tehran, Isfahan, Neishabour, Shiraz, Sirjan, Ghoochan, Kashmar, Shoosh, and Rasht; nowadays, in most big cities of Iran, he is enlightening and training the youth to purify their souls.

In 1963, concurrent with the "white Revolution" of Shah, the religious scholars of Mashhad theological school and Qom theological school were to be unanimous against Shah's decision, so the religious scholars and some Islamic experts elected Ayatollah Abtahi as a mediator for such an important matter. He constantly traveled from Mashhad to Qom and vice versa, which was very risky at that time, but he managed to perform that responsibility quite well and united the religious scholars and Islamic experts of Mashhad and Qom. The details of what he did, in a form of an elaborate essay, has been published in a book called "Viewpoints"; in which he has notified the ways to unite the politicians and religious scholars.

Ayatollah Abtahi's role in Islamic Revolution:
Before the revolution, when Ayatollah Khonmeini was in Paris, he sent statements to Iran to direct Iranians in their struggle against the crime and oppression of Shah's regime. The Religious Argument and Criticizing Center printed those statements, then ayatollah Abtahi's friends were distributed the copies in all parts of Iran. After revolution, when ayatollah khomeini came back to Iran, the Religious Argument and Criticizing Center was still a center for distributing the realities about the revolution.

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