A Brief Biography of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani

In the Name of Allah

A Brief Biography of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani and His Scientific Legacy Imam Sadiq University

By: Dr. Sadiqa Mahdavi Kani

Imam Sadiq University is a distinguished institution going beyond other universities that merely insist on training students and scholars. This is one objective, but in addition, it has aimed to represent an Islamic model of a university in terms of religious beliefs and motivations that shape behavioral patterns and aspiration for sciences. (The supreme Leader)

Deviation from the Supreme Leader’s guidelines is but getting away from the path charted by Imam Khomeini. (Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani)

Foreword

In the Name of Allah

Few are those who have had the privilege of winning over the adversities of life, shedding the light of science and wisdom on the path to be paved for others to tread without encumbrances, and preventing them from negligence and lack of insight. Few are those who have managed to outline the road map all along the way and eternalize their names with that.

What you have in hand is one portion of the life of a distinguished cleric who illuminated people's minds and revived hope in their hearts with his brilliant character. This man was the one who gave weight to and raised the status of scholars. He proved an erudite and mystic scholar with his characteristic smiling face and magnanimity. His immaculate soul has rested peacefully in heaven.

This booklet is a guideline that intends to unravel the mystery of eminent figures who had great achievements and pioneered in their endeavor and benefited their contemporary enthusiasts; persons who wouldn't become victorious except through their own industry and perseverance; those who, Farhad^*-like, carved in the hard rocks and quenched the thirst of their souls with bitter drinks of separation and suffering in hope of embracing their sweet beloved i.e. the Truth.

Legendary lover who was set the arduous task of carving in mountain rocks by his rival Khosrow

Soheila Mohseninejad, Ph.D. Faculty Member of Arabic Department, ISU Female Campus, September 2020

Introduction

In the past century, the endeavor to advance an explanation for religious sciences, especially as integrated into humanities, has become a fundamental issue among the Islamic world scientific circles. This is rooted in the belief that Islamic precepts are effective and practical in social and political life and Islamic science can prevent the harms subsequent to purely human and secular endeavors.

In Iran, those who benefited from Imam Khomeini's and Allameh Tabatabaee's school of thought played a pivotal role in elaborating on the issue. The late Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani, as one who trained in this school and a key contributor to the Islamic Revolution, was of the opinion that religious-based human sciences necessitated preliminary cultural and social preparations. A revision in the methods and approaches to academic curriculum design is one of the major causes of the formation of Islamic humanities, or in the words of Ayatollah Mahdavi, the consolidating element of creating identity for an Islamic university, hence his initiative to found Imam Sadiq University in 1982. A brief biography of the late Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani can shed light on the issue better.

Ayatollah Mohamad Reza Mahdavi Kani, a Brief Biography

Ayatollah Mohamad Reza Mahdavi Kani was born on August 6th, 1931 in Kan, a suburb of Tehran. After finishing the primary school in Kan, he entered Lorzadeh Seminary School in Tehran and benefited greatly from the late Ayatollah Borhan's scholarly and moral teachings. When he was seventeen, he moved to Qom for continuing his studies. There he was educated by then distinguished figures such as Rafii Ghazvini, Alameh Tabatabai, Great Ayatollah Boroojerdi, Imam Khomeini, Great Ayatollah Golpayegani. They taught him advanced religious courses such as: Islamic Jurisprudence, the Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Interpretation (tafsir), Islamic Philosophy (Hekmat), Islamic Theology (Kala'am) and Advanced Seminary Courses.

In 1961, he returned to Tehran and started to teach religious courses in Marvi Seminary School. Two years later he became the congregational prayer imam in the newly established Jalili mosque located in Ferdowsi Square. Later, this mosque became a center for his social and political activities. Because of his fight against the Pahlavi regime he was arrested, tortured and exiled a lot of times.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution (1979) Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani took on different responsibilities among which we can refer to the following:

Membership in the First Council of Islamic Revolution, appointed by Imam Khomeini during his stay in Neauphle-le-Chateau in Paris (1979-1980)
Membership in the Committee for the Reception of Imam Khomeini from Exile (1979)
The Supervision of Islamic Revolution Committee, the first armed organization for safeguarding the revolution , appointed by Imam Khomeini following the recommendation of Shahid Motahari (1979- 1982)
One of the jurisprudents in the Guardian Council (1980- 1981)
Imam's representative in the Committee for Resolving Disagreements among officials (1981)
Interior Minister in the Council of Islamic Revolution, and Rajai and Bahonar’s Cabinets) 1980- 1981)
Prime Minister (1981)
The Establisher and the Secretary General of the Combatant Clergy Association (1981- 2014)
The President of Imam Sadiq University (ISU)
Supervising the Relief Committee for the Bombarded Areas during the imposed Iran/Iraq war ) 1983)
Membership in the Higher Council for Cultural Revolution, appointed by Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah khamenei (1983- 1984)
Custodianship of Marvi Seminary School and its endowments for 30 years, appointed by Imam Khomeini (1984- 2014)
Membership in the Council for the Amendment of the Constitution of I. R. of Iran) 1989)
Directorship of the Mosque Affairs(1989)
Membership in the Expediency Council of I. R. of Iran (1989- 2001)
Chairmanship of the Assembly of Experts (2010-2014)

When establishing Imam Sadiq University in 1982, Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani dedicated himself to its development as a distinguished Islamic Institution and as a model and authority for other academic centers.

In the evening of Khordad 14 (June 4, 2014), and after attending Imam Khomeini's demise anniversary, Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. A five- month medical treatment failed to be effective and the Ayatollah passed away in the morning of 23^rd of September, 2014 that coincided with the holy month of Muharram, the mourning days of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. An excerpt from the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's condolence message about the event reads, "The venerable cleric proved a religious scholar, an honest politician and an explicit revolutionary who never let personal or factional inclinations interfere in his vast and effective activities. This pious man exerted himself throughout decades to seek the truth, and spared no effort to defend the revolution and the Islamic system. May God shower His choicest blessings upon his soul! "

Ayatollah Mahdavi's obsequies started with the attendance of multitudes of people at Tehran University campus where farewell prayers were performed by Ayatollah Khamenei and ended in his resting place in Abdolazim Hosseini Shrine in the city of Rey, south of Tehran.

The status of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani is one of hopefulness for all political inclinations and faith degrees, high and low, represented by ordinary people and elite groups. It is characterized by five features that signify godliness:

1- Piety and honesty

Wisdom and integrity

3- Perseverance in the path of God

4- Brotherhood and benevolence

5- Powerfulness and liberality

Publications:

Ayatollah Mahdavi's published works in his lifetime are as follows:

The Recount of Ayatollah Boroojerdi's and Imam Khomeini’s Advanced Seminary Courses
Starting Points in Practical Ethics
The Basics and Principles of Islamic Economy in the Holy Quran
Twenty Two Discourses on Understanding Practical Dimensions of Intellect and Religion
Twenty discourses on Understanding Spiritual Dimensions of Human's Intellectual Life
Twelve Discourses
Lectures in ISU Female Campus

The following were published by either his students or professors after his demise and following the establishment of the Office for Preserving and Propagating Ayatollah Mahdavi's Works:

Knowledge and Faith-Based Practice
Reason and Religion
Thematic Interpretation of the Holy Quran
Interpretation of Surah Hamd
Interpretation of Surah Qadr
Interpretation of Surah Baqara, 5 volumes
The Translation and Explanation of Iftitah Prayer
The Recount of Advanced Seminary Courses; Friday Prayer
Rule of Possession Guarantee; the Recount of Ayatollah Mahdavi's Advanced Seminary Courses
Ethical Politics and Political Ethics

The following have been published about Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani:

Jalili Mosque; an Oral History
Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani's Life; an Oral History
Red Memoir; the Relief Committee for the Bombarded Areas Activities
Insightful Jurisprudent; a Survey of Ayatollah Mahdavi'e Opinions
Insightful guide; Students' Memoir of Ayatollah Mahdavi's Supervision of PH.D. Dissertations
Memoir of Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani, the Man of Faith and Politics
Imam's Companion, Leader's Assistant; a Review of Ayatollah's Memoir and Other Accounts
Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani according to SAVAK Documents
Compendium of Articles and Speeches of Ayatollah Mahdavi's Commemoration Conference
Treasured Memories; about Islamic Revolution Personalities
Honest Politician; a Compendium of Ayatollah's Discourses and Political Answers
Revolutionary Politics; Ayatollah's Speeches about the Islamic Revolution's Personalities and Events

Also, the Shahid-e-Yaran journal published 18 interviews with people surrounding Ayatollah Mahdavi about his individual, social and political personality.

Ayatollah Mahdavi and Imam Sadiq University (ISU)

Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani set out to pursue his innovative academic objective with the assistance of some of his peers and founded ISU as the first Islamic university after the Revolution in 1982. This was a dynamic social phenomenon inspired by religious identity that would redesign the existing methods, approaches and programs.

While maintaining its initial principles such as training humans as servants of God, distinguished status, gender segregated system, and integration of Islamic sciences with modern majors, ISU has broadened its experience and grown to maturity so that it can now assume the status of " The Islamic University; an Authority", suggesting that its output can show the greatest effectiveness and attract the widest audience. On this basis, it has stated its mission thus:" Producing, developing and promoting human and social sciences through providing and propagating objective-based expert Islamic studies in the required disciplines, creating a fundamental evolution of higher education curricula and the ability to administer the affairs of the Islamic society of Iran, thus raising ISU to the level of an authority in the world so it could transform foreign institutions with parallel trends."

Ayatollah Mahdavi's major tenets are as follows:

Applying the theory of human and Islamic sciences identity

On the one hand Ayatollah Mahdavi learned Shiite jurisprudence with a socio-political reading of Imam Khomeini's views, and on the other he benefitted from a Neo- Sadraian interpretation of Allameh Tabatabaee's philosophy. Hence, he is to be considered as one who theoretically believed in the ability and effectiveness of the instructions gained from the Quran, the Prophet and his Household in leading humans and societies. This theory is based on the fact that the guidelines for directing human societies can derive from a corpus of knowledge now known as human and Islamic studies.

2- Association between theory and practice; the experience of an Islamic university

The major distinctive feature of Ayatollah Mahdavi in the field of human and Islamic sciences is that he did not limit himself to theorizing but endeavored to put the theories into practice by establishing an independent institution. In fact, this intellectual school which tries not to stay within a theoretical framework but reach its objectives through an institution, is influenced by two epistemological and non-epistemological characteristics. In other words, in the view of Ayatollah Mahdavi, the identity of an Islamic university is shaped around two basic dimensions that are as follows:

Interdisciplinary curriculum; the epistemological dimension of Islamic University

In the view of Ayatollah Mahdavi, the consolidating element of an Islamic university is the interdisciplinary approach to curriculum design, the one incorporated in Imam Sadiq University program. He is of the opinion that there are some who misjudge the Islamic University character; a stance which is either totally irrelevant or if relevant it doesn't comprise the true identity of what should be, whereas the Islamic university gains its uniqueness by adopting a methodology that tends to the stated combination in its program.

The Ayatollah also maintained that the same scientific method was practiced for years in the Islamic seminaries, interrupted by the false notion reinforced by secularism which separated religious studies from sciences. He, therefore, emphasized a return to the stated principle and tradition for materializing the true identity of an Islamic university. In his own words, “by returning to the traditional Islamic teaching method, i.e. combining religious studies with other fields of knowledge, especially humanities, one can hope to establish an Islamic university." It was based on this unique approach to curriculum design that ISU developed its program technically known as a parallel intra- disciplinarity.

In this type of program, each field of study maintains its concepts, structures, principles, foundations and methods and even its order of presentation, but in practice it considers two or more parallel disciplines with different programs but conformed to the logical order already existing in each. It is worth mentioning that many famous international universities started this sort of combination such as economics and philosophy in Erasmus university, politics and philosophy and economics in Oxford and alike.

Furthermore, ISU directed its research projects to the same trend its education program was following. What matters in this process is the concurrence and compatible interaction of contents through training students which in its turn combines the science and the production of various other sciences based on the problems.

The current ISU disciplines which conform to the above criteria have actually combined Islamic studies with one of the human and social sciences as follows:

Faculty of Islamic studies, Theology and Guidance

Department of Fiqh and Islamic Law
Department of Philosophy and Islamic Theology
Department of Quranic Sciences and Hadith

2- Faculty of Islamic Studies and Economics

Department of Economics
Department of International Petroleum and Gas Contracts Management
Department of Petroleum and Gas Economy

3- Faculty of Islamic Studies and Political Science

Department of Political Thought
Department of Political Studies of Islam
Department of International Relations
Department of Political sociology
Department of Iranian Issues

4- Faculty of Islamic Studies and Law

Department of Penal and Criminal Laws
Department of Private Law
Department of General Law

Faculty of Islamic Studies, Communication and Culture

Department of Communication and Religious Propagation
Department of Culture and Civilization
Department of Culture and State
Department of Culture and Education

6- Faculty of Islamic Studies and Management

Department of Commercial Management
Department of Administrative Management and General Policy- Making
Department of Industrial Management
Department of Financial Management

All ISU students have to take Islamic courses side by side with their majors. These courses include subjects like Jurisprudence, Principles of Jurisprudence, Tafsir (Exegesis) of the Quran, Hadith (Infallible narratives and traditions of the Prophet and Imams), Theology and Islamic beliefs. Also they need to present and publish articles about their majors as they conform to the Islamic instructions.

According to the principle of theory and conformity association, it must be recognized that this consolidating element of Islamic university is the product of the application of some epistemological specifications of human and Islamic sciences identity. These are:

1- The epistemological unity of science

2- Mutual relation between the problem and fundamentals (two-way principle)

3- Optimized selection of human experience within Islamic instructions

A) Islamic living atmosphere; non-epistemological dimension of Islamic university

In the view of Ayatollah Mahdavi, besides epistemological elements, there are some other influencing ones called non-epistemological elements involved in the process of producing human and Islamic sciences. This is because human and social sciences which, as arbitrary ones, are under the impact of human will, undergo the influence of various other elements. Consequently, the attaining of human and social sciences will be impossible without the involvement of virtuous and pious Islamic scholars. The outcome of this was an institutional approach to providing the ground for the evolution of human and social sciences and educating practicing scholars materialized in the form of an Islamic university.

Ayatollah Mahdavi, from among non-epistemological elements of Islamic university, paid special attention to a few as stated below:

1- Recruitment of talented and committed human resource

2- Creating scientific trend , thought and knowledge

3- Independent status of the university vis-à-vis political affiliations

4- Chaste association between the opposite sexes and attending to the potentials of women