In memory of Mujtahid Gilani

News News of Secretary General

Sunday, 03 April 2022

At one time, there were many first-rate religious scholars in the provincial capitals, but today, unfortunately, we are facing a shortage in this regard. This problem must be solved with tact and management. It seems that the Gilani clerics, who are based in Qom or other cities, should be invited to return to important cities and provincial capitals, so that with their presence, the holy issue of propagating the Islam, and the jihad of enlightenment for Islamic values, and the promotion of Islamic ethics and knowledge be institutionalized.

The year 1401 AH began with the demise of some divine scholars, which were great losses for the religious people of Islamic Iran. Ayatollah Rayshahri, Ayatollah Rudbari, Ayatollah Neyrizi, and Ayatollah Kardan were servicing scholars who left us at the beginning of this solar year.

On the occasion of the demise of the late Ayatollah Rudbari, Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, and the representative of the people of Gilan province in the Assembly of Leadership Experts, has written an article that is dedicated to the readers:

** In memory of Mujtahid Gilani **

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By: Ayatollah Ramazani

March 31, 2022

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

“As for those who strive in Us, We surely guide them to Our paths” (Holy Quran, Surah: Al-Ankabut, Verse: 69)

I was very moved and saddened to hear the news of the demise of the great scholar, Ayatollah Sayed Mojtaba Rudbari, and sorrow and grief truly settled in my heart. Therefore, I prepared a message of condolence with all my being, and I carefully expressed my beliefs about that ascetic scholar in the words of that message of condolence.

Ayatollah Sayed Mojtaba Rudbari, born in 1933, following in the footsteps of his noble father, Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Rudbari, entered the field of self-improvement from a young age and was very serious in learning knowledge and cultivating the soul. That noble man was a sincere and zealous person who had always set his life in the way of God and tried to be constantly in the circle of divine attraction. Until the end of his 89-year life, he tried to look for God in everything and everyone.

After passing the basics of seminary courses in Rasht, Ayatollah Rudbari attended the seminary of Qom for 14 years and then the seminary of Najaf and studied for 15 years near the shrine of Imam Ali (a.s.) with the elders of Osul and Fiqh. By having daily scientific discussions with clerics, as well as writing summaries of the lectures of professors in Arabic, he naturally attained the degree of ijtihad. After two migrations to gain knowledge, he returned to the historic city of Rasht at the age of 46. During these many years, he achieved scientific excellence by studying the knowledge of religion and achieved spiritual excellence by purifying and cultivating his soul and adorning himself with the sublime human virtues, to the point that he became the spiritual pillar of the province.

Unlike some who want superficial world and are obsessed with it, the friends of God always look at the truth of the world. They are concerned about their future life, and with contentment and simple living, they acquire the spiritual soul. Ayatollah Rudbari was an ascetic scholar who always lived free in a life of complete reluctance to the material world. His simple life in an old and humble father’s house for the rest of his life, and his resistance to moving house, is a true testimony to the great and ascetic spirit of this wise old man.

He was the lover of the Infallible AhlulBayt (a.s.), and the mourning ceremonies for them, he shed tears from the bottom of his heart. He was literally in love with the AhlulBayt (a.s.). He was concerned about the belief of the people and took care of the various affairs of the people with all his might. The door to his house was always open to everyone. To the best of his ability, he attended every public ceremony. From attending the marriage ceremony of the young believers, who considered his presence as a blessing, to attending the ceremonies related to the Infallibles (a.s.), including the birth and martyrdom ceremonies of the AhlulBayt (a.s.). In short, he would show up wherever he needed to. In the 1990 earthquake, which caused great human and financial damage to the province, he went to Rudbar, his ancestral home, and performed shroud, burial, and prayers for the dead. The very case shows that wherever it was related to religious issues and religious obligations, and action was needed, Ayatollah Rudbari acted on the task he recognized.

He was a true believer in Velayat-e-Faqih. When people like me were just born, he, as a worthy student, learned the topics of Velayat-e-Faqih from the late Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and accepted it from the bottom of his heart. He believed that religious affairs should not be reduced to minor issues such as doubts in Salat and the like. Rather, Fiqh is a textbook of life in various personal, social, political, economic, etc. dimensions. Therefore, right after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, when the issue of the Ruler of Sharia was raised in Gilan, Imam Khomeini said, “Mr. Sayed Mojtaba Rudbari can be appointed.” When he was informed, he said, “All our friends have accepted offices in some way. Unfortunately, there is no one in the seminary who is in charge of the affairs of the students and to train clergies.” Therefore, he asked permission to address this important issue. Certainly, if there was an order by Imam Khomeini, given his devotion to the Imam, he would undoubtedly accept any kind of offices. But such a thing was not issued by the Imam of the Ummah as a duty. Therefore, Ayatollah Rudbari devoted himself to seminary affairs and student education. Praise be to God, today many of those who are successful in propagating Islam, teaching and various departments, including Friday prayers, judging and the like, are students of the late Ayatollah Rudbari.

Another characteristic of the late Ayatollah Rudbari was that until the end of his life, he did not enter factional discussions in the field of politics. Of course, this was a natural thing among the scholars of the provinces and the region. Therefore, although he was associated with the revolution and the Islamic system and attended important elections and rallies and necessary meetings, he never joined political factions. The late Ayatollah Rudbari was a religious, spiritual, and revolutionary figure who never deviated from the lofty ideals of the Revolution, such as the realization of a monotheistic system, the administration of justice, and a republic based on Islam. He believed in the system of the Islamic Republic. Of course, his scientific and practical life proves the same truth.

That concerned scholar always took care of the affairs of the clergies and did everything he could, from management to teaching, leading the congregation prayers, and the ethics class.

For years, his congregational prayers were one of the clearest and most soul-pleasing congregational prayers in Gilan. Of course, as long as his noble father, the late Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Rudbari was alive, he would lead congregational prayers at noon in the Bazaar Grand Mosque next to the Grand Seminary, and at night in the Safi Mosque. After his father’s demise on September 19, 1986, he led the noon and evening congregational prayers, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers at the Safi Mosque. In some days he even led the morning congregational prayer. He always went to his father’s grave after prayers and paid his respects by reciting Surah Al-Fatiha.

On the other hand, people from all walks of life, young and old, men and women, students, shopkeepers, government, and non-government officials, etc., all had a special respect for him. There were many people who tried to reach his congregational prayers as much as possible, and sometimes they blessed themselves by touching and kissing his aba. Because they believed in him, and they believed in him as a divine scholar, and they paid their religious taxes to him.

I remember, and I observed many times, that when he went from home to the Grand Seminary, the shopkeepers came out of their shops and paid special respect to him with greetings. I also remember that if he accompanied his father on a path, he would always walk half a step after his father in honor. This scene was truly spectacular and spiritually enjoyable, and everyone who saw this scene was fascinated by the politeness and modesty of Mr. Sayed Mojtaba. I have used this language of behavior and action a lot and I have tried to have a special respect for my teachers, both in their presence and in their absence, by following the example of noblemen like Ayatollah Rudbari.

Ayatollah Rudbari was very bound to attend to the Grand Seminary and spent a lot of time in school. He took care of each student and even solved their personal and family problems as much as possible. He was, in fact, a compassionate and kind father to the clergies, and the clergies accepted this fact wholeheartedly and trusted him.

One of the important factors of his success, which can be a model and guide for others, is adherence to his acts of worship and devotion to God. Ayatollah Rudbari’s stable relationship with God Almighty, successive dhikr, performing night prayers and night vigils are very instructive. His presence in every ceremony and circle was accompanied by spirituality, and this position was always maintained. He always recited dhikr, and he recited these dhikrs wholeheartedly. People believed in his Istikharah and even made their decisions based on his Istikharah. People said that Mr. Sayed Mojtaba had Istikharah for them, and based on that, they wanted to do something. He answered the phone himself, make Istikharah in accordance with certain customs, and tell the result Istikharah himself. He also answered jurisprudential and non-jurisprudential questions with great care. The interesting thing was that if he did not know the answer to the question, he would say, for example, to call again in half an hour to check the fatwa of the religious authority of the questioner. Of course, it is very clear that it is normal for a cleric not to be aware of the fatwas of all authorities, or if he has seen the fatwas before, not to remember them at the time of questioning, and therefore needs to study them. I remember that in 1983, we studied Al-Hashiah of Mullah Abdullah and Tahrir al-Wasilah, and once a week we studied Nasserite ethics with Ayatollah Insha’i. He said, “Sometimes I would ask questions of the late Grand Ayatollah Khoei. He replied that he did not remember the answer at that moment, and he should study for it.” After all, the multiplicity of Fatwas on different issues and different opinions on any issue is very natural. Of course, after returning to Iran, Ayatollah Rudbari referred to the views and opinions of religious authorities many times, and due to the large number of answers to the questions, he had many issues in his memory.          However, it was very important that the fatwa of the Marja of the questioner be expressed so that he would not take the religious responsibility.

After returning to Rasht to serve and perform the religious affairs of the people, he mentioned this point in the meetings in the city that he saw what he had learned in Najaf in lessons and discussions, were abundance technical terms of Fiqh and Osul, and religious people did not need those terms much. Rather, the questions of the people are other than those Fiqh and Osul points, and even theological, philosophical, and interpretive. Therefore, he made a kind of review in his Fiqh studies. He carefully reviewed the book Al-Urwa, with all the opinions of the Marjas. In any case, the religion of the people is important, and in any matter, guidance, and response must be expressed correctly, firmly, and accurately. Therefore, one should be very careful in responding to clients, and this seems to be the right way, and this precaution is necessary.

The late Ayatollah Rudbari was a popular figure and his relationship with the people was very close and based on beliefs. He easily opened the door of his house to the people. Of course, at the end of his life, when his health condition was not favorable, it was not possible for him to accept the public. Therefore, he was very upset about why he is less successful in serving the people. He was an example of a religious figure who worked to develop popular communication. He tried to preserve the religion of the people in this way. Given the many attacks on people’s beliefs, such communications seem necessary in every way. Therefore, it is appropriate for religious scholars to use this method as their model.

That religious scholar had a special zeal for the seminaries and his concern was always that the seminaries of Gilan grow quantitatively and qualitatively. He emphasized that in order to promote and grow the position of the seminary of Gilan, the Gilani scholars should return to Gilan province, and perform their educational duties and act according to this Quranic verse: “فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ” (But why should not there a group from each of their sections go forth to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware?) (Holy Quran, Surah At-Tawbah, Verse: 122). Today, this task may be obligatory for some. According to our great master, Grand Ayatollah Allameh Javadi Amoli, as based on teachings such as “Learn knowledge even if it is in China”, learning knowledge is necessary even in the most remote areas. Teaching also is obligatory and necessary for teachers and educators. Therefore, based on the essential needs of the provinces, this return (for local clerics) should be done for those who have the necessary conditions, with the provision of the ground in each city.

Certainly, today in every city, especially in the provincial capitals, we need the presence of scholars such as the late Ayatollah Rudbari who can create a religious influence and strengthen the faith and lead to development. If this does not happen, the religiosity and beliefs of today’s generation of society, especially the youth, will be seriously threatened. Today, the presence of divine and religious scholars can play a deterrent role in thwarting the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam, who have targeted the religion and beliefs of the people, especially the young generation. At one time in the same Rasht, as I heard from the trustees and also read in some sources, there were about 30 mujtahids, and in the important mosques of the city, mujtahids led congregational prayers. We remember that in the recent past, that scholars such as Ayatollah Lakani, Ayatollah Sayed Hossein Rudbari, Ayatollah Zahiri, Ayatollah Insha’i, Ayatollah Hojjati, Ayatollah Zahed and dignitaries such as the late Professor Pourjafar, Professor Ghaheri, Professor Sayed Kazem Mir Abdul Azimi, and other figures led congregational prayers in various mosques in Rasht.

At one time, there were many first-rate religious scholars in the provincial capitals, but today, unfortunately, we are facing a shortage in this regard. This problem must be solved with tact and management. It seems that the Gilani clerics, who are based in Qom or other cities, should be invited to return to important cities and provincial capitals, so that with their presence, the holy issue of propagating the Islam, and the jihad of enlightenment for Islamic values, and the promotion of Islamic ethics and knowledge be institutionalized.

In many meetings, the late Ayatollah Rudbari emphasized issues related to the seminary. This was one of the most important issues for him and he shared it with many people who were somehow related to the seminary issues. This was because he felt that maintaining the religiosity of the people was the responsibility of the seminarians, divine scholars, and missionaries. Therefore, mosques and husseiniyahs, and all educational centers must deal with religious issues. This is not possible unless clergies are trained and sent to cities and villages. Today, in fact, in educational centers, from schools to universities and other complexes, we want our children to become acquainted with religious customs and ethics. This requires the training of influential forces with the knowledge of religion and divine ethics – clerics that are up-to-date and familiar with the society affairs, and with modern language can explain religion comprehensively, accurately and deeply, and answer questions on various topics, as well as address the doubts raised, and convince the mind of different audiences, especially the younger generation. I fully felt such a concern in the meetings with the presence of that great cleric.

A year after he returned to Rasht in 1979, I got in touch with him. I was only 16 at the time. From that time until the end of his life, I had the success to have scientific, emotional, and spiritual relationship with him, and in these meetings, various topics were discussed. I benefited a lot from him. In the last visit to Gilan, I was going to meet him, which unfortunately did not happen, and I was very sad about it. Of course, on March 17, 2022, we talked on the phone, and I completely felt his weakness and illness in that conversation. Therefore, I was looking to visit him. But I did not succeed in having another meeting with that faithful, ascetic and humble Gilani mujtahid. I hope that his respected son, Hojat al-Islam Sayed Saleh Rudbari, will follow the same religious and spiritual path, and will provide religious and spiritual services like his pure father and ancestors. Of course, considering the politeness, respect, humility, knowledge and morality that I have seen from him, I think, and I hope that this will happen, and the Rudbari family will always be steadfast in their religious influence on the intelligent and culture-loving people of Gilan.

May God Almighty grant him vast mercy and divine pleasure and reunite him with his pure ancestors, and grant patience to his noble family, disciples, and enthusiasts.

AhlulBayt (a_s_) World Assembly Ayatollah Ramazani Gilan Mujtahid

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