Ayatollah Abtahi's travels abroad for promoting Islam:

1- India:
Ayatollah Sayyed Hassan Abtahi traveled many times to India,
investigated about different religions there, provided a statistics about Indian Muslims ,

 Shiite people and preachers who were introducing and promoting Shiism in India, and rendered a report pertaining to his journey to experts in jurisprudence , especially ayatollah Khomeini.

In one of these travels that happened before the revolution of Iran, when there was a big gap between sunnite and shiite people in India, ayatollah Shariatmadari sent ayatollah Abtahi to unite the two different Islamic sects. His efforts bore fruits in this regard by delivering lectures and meeting with the high-ranking Sunnite and Shiite characters. In his last journey to India, many Shiite scholars had been invited from different countries and the routine was to regulate the affairs of Indian Shiite scholars and to support their religious duties.

This program continued under the leadership of the late martyr ayatollah Sayyed Mahdi Hakim, until the Baathi groups of Iraq in Khortum assassinated him. After his martyrdom, this responsibility was entrusted to ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Musavi who was previously in India and due to his struggles against Baathi groups, the Indian government didn’t let him stay in India and he lives in London now and has a positive role in cultural activities as well as in regulating the affairs of Indian Shiite scholars.

2 - Greece

In 1990, President Muhammad khatami (The minister of Islamic Culture and Guidance at that time) invited Ayatollah Abtahi to attend the first International Symposium on "Orthodoxy and Islam". His lecture was on "The one worldwide Government by the Savior of the world" which will definitely occur and he is the one who will spread justice in the world, based on the beliefs of all religions.

His article was regarded by the experts, was published in Greek magazines, and the president of the Symposium said that another symposium must have been held only to the subject matter of Ayatollah Abtahi's article.

Ayatollah Abtahi spoke with orthodox priests and experts and attracted their attention. A complete detail of this symposium is published in the book "The last Savior of the world".

3 - Another trip to India:

Ayatollah Abtahi in his several trips to India, met and spoke with philosophers and leaders of Sik, Hindu and other religions and mentioned the advantages of Islam. He made speeches in Lakenho and Aqrah University, Al-vaezin School, Sultan-al-Madares, Benares theological school.
He delievered lectures among Hindu scholars in Bombay Hussaini kingship, in Khojeh a mosque in Bombay, in Ahmad Abad of Kojarat on "Day of Hussain" , in Jamu of Kashmir in the presence of hundreds of different religions experts he spoke about Imam Hussein (Peace be upon him), in Lakenho Darol-Nadveh, which is under the supervision of Abol - Hassan Nadvi, the sunnite expert. Here ayatollah Abtahi spoke about Islamic unity; all those lectures were intended to enlighten people about Islam and to introduce Shiism. In Indian universities, he looked upon the material medical issues and accepted the invitation of the professors of Indian universities and visited their innovations and discoveries. He delivered a lecture in Ali Qereh Islamic university where he got acquainted with the late professor Kaleb Abed and invited him to Iran, and through this way, he appreciated his kindness.

4 - Turkey:

Ayatollah Abtahi stayed one month in Turkey and during his one month stay in the cities Arzanjan and Arzroum, he spoke with the leaders of Ahl-e-Haq (Suffi sects) which had four million followers there, gathered useful information about their belief, and helped some of them convert to Islam and get familiar with Shiism.

In Istanbul, he met the great expert, the late Qolpenarli and discussed on the issue of the Islamic philosophy and about how to introduce shiism in Turkey. May God bless his soul! A full account of this trip is published in the books “Our Reply” and “The Nights of Mecca”.

5- Syria

During his stay in Syria, Ayatollah Abtahi co-operated with the late Ayatollah Sayyed Hassan Shirazi on enlightening the religious experts of Alavi and Suffi sects (Ahl-e-Haq) about the real meaning of Islam and by sending the religious scholars, in this way a lot of belivers in Ahl-e-Haq - were enlightened.
Ayatollah Abtahi spoke with the religious experts of the mentioned sect in Syria, acquainted them with the truth of Islam and the right path, and made them promise for being particular about the laws and regulations of Shiism. His honor was so intimate with ayatollah Vahedi and had familiarity with ayatollah Fehri from the ages of youth and he cooperated them in the religious affairs and services.

6 - Lebenon

Having been an intimate friend of Ayatollah Emam Mosa Sadr and the late Sheikh Jawad Moqnieh, ayatollah Aabtahi made a lot of religious activities in connection with the Supreme Congress of Shiite people. Once Imam Mosa Sadr's was kidnapped, ayatollah Abtahi's relation with that congress ceased. Today, because of ayatollah Abtahi’s books that are translated into Arabic language, the Lebanonian scholars contact him, sincerely help him, and are in touch with him. Eight of his books that are translated into Arabic are available in Lebanon and the people of Lebanon express their loves towards him.

‌7- Saudi Arabia

In the cities of Mecca and Madina, Ayatollah Abtahi had many debates with the high-ranking Wahabis experts about their mistakes on rejecting the successors of the prophet of Islam, their intercession at the Judgment Day,

 the wahabis' rejection to visit the Imams holy shrines, paying attention to what God likes by constructing the shrines or mosques, and so on. Ayatollah Abtahi managed to convince some of the great scholars there. He helped one of the greatest scholars of Mecca accept Shiism. A full account of his activities is published in the book "the Nights of Mecca".

8- Italy and visiting Vatican:

In this journey, ayatollah Abtahi visited Rom, the capital city of Italy. He also visited the historical attractions of that city and the oppressions and tyrannies of the ancient people living there. He was received by the Iranian embassy that had previously been the house of the hardhearted famous Mussolini. Then at the Iranian house of culture, he investigated the Iran’s cultural issues in Rom. Although Vatican is an independent territory and is the special center for Pop, but it is in the heart of Rom. So, with a prearrangement, he visited the great Vatican church and was the witness of how the priests forgive the sins and how the Christians had made their holy book into pictures on the walls. He left Italy for Greece while wondering why the Catholic Christians or other Christians ignore the truth of Islam as the last religion and involve themselves with those pictures.

9- Emirates

Despite of the fact that the Arab United Emirates seems to be incapable of any moral spiritual field of activity, but in many journeys, ayatollah Abtahi contacted some Shia scholars who reside in there and had useful talks with them.

10- Kuwait

The Kuwaiti spiritual religious scholars and the lovers of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) have recurrently invited ayatollah Abtahi to visit their country. For many times, he had been in Kuwait where he took part in the session of the youth who were all the devotees of their living Imam (peace be upon him). He delivered lectures for them on ideological issues as well as different spiritual and moral issues. At nights, he was answering the philosophical logical questions of the Shia people.

11- Iraq

Ayatollah Abtahi’s recurrent journeys to Iraq are as follows:

The first journey was on 1954 via Khorramshahr and Basreh with passport and along with the late Haj Molla Aghajan Zanjani, the late martyr Hasheminezhad, the late Hojjatol-Islam Mr. Mozaffari, and Mr. Haj Sayyed Taqi Khamooshi. This journey took one month.

The second journey was in 1995 when together with the late martyr Hasheminezhad, he moved to Najaf to take part in the classes of Kharij taught by the famous jurists of that time.

The third journey was in 1964 and without a passport. In this journey that was in Ramadhan, he was along with the late Hojjatol-Islam Haji Valeh.

The fourth journey was in 1969. In this journey, he met ayatollah Khomeini who had been exiled to Najaf. At this meeting, he got the needed advices and plans for being against Shah’s regime and they discussed on the matter of the Religious Discussion And Criticizing Center.

The fifth journey was in 1971 when together with his family, he goes to Iraq in his own car. Then he leaves Iraq for Syria and enjoys much spiritual and scientific advancement.

The sixth journey was in 1996. This journey was after 25 years of the reign of Saddam and Baathi groups. He said, “The Iraq of the past was very different from today. That was a very cultivated one while this is a ruined Iraq”.

The seventh journey was in 1998, and was again in the reign of Saddam. This pilgrimage was together with a number of the disciples of self-purification. He had a very spiritually pleasant journey.

 The eighth journey in 2001 was together with his elder son, Mr. Sayyed Mohammad-Ali, who was the vice president in the parliamentary affairs at that time. To esteem the Iranian government, Saddam’s armies respected ayatollah Abtahi’s son. As commanded by Iraqi’s governors, they took his group to visit all the holy places. Ayatollah Abtahi said, “One night, they opened the door of the holy cellar in the shrine of the holiness Aba al-Fadhl Abbas (p.b.u.h) and we were the witness of the water that had reached to the middle of the holy grave. Anyway, we remembered the thirst of that holy family and took some as a blessing”.

 Meeting with the Sunnite scholars in Iran:

Ayatollah Abtahi discussed with the Sunnite scholars in Torkaman Sahraa, Mecca, Medina, Turkey, east Khorasaan, and those who had previously come to his offices in Mashad and in other offices. He talked about Imam Ali’s right to be the immediate caliph after the prophet of Islam. He also discussed on the other issues that is disputable between Shiite and Sunnite.

 He enlightened some of them and some other were so impressed by his speech that whenever he travels there, the scholars and prayer leaders kindly welcome him. 

 Page 1  2  3