Hajj Molla Ali Kani

Vida Moezzinia

 

One of the first rank clergies of Tehran, Hajj Molla Ali Kani was born in the Kan village of the west Tehran, 1805. Despite the objection of his family, when he was twenty years old, he left for Najaf to study religious courses and attend the classes of Sheikh Morteza Ansari and Sheikh Hassan Kashef al Qata. Again he enjoyed the classes of Sharif ol ulama Mazandarani and Seyyed Ebrahim Qazvini in Karbala.

 

Following many long years of hard studies, he got the degree of Shiite religious authority. Due to the plague epidemic, he left Iraq for two years and engaged himself on writing of books on Islamic jurisprudence. He returned to Iran in 1845. At first he had hard times but the profit he gained by selling of his two books saved him from poverty. He bought an uncultivated land and started grow crops. Gradually, he became famous in mid years of Nassaraddin Shah’s reign. Among his public services, we may refer to the construction of caravansary and water reservoirs, and helping the poor and the patients. He trained many learned students including Sheikh Mussa Sharareh Ameli, Sheikh Mohammad Bagher Najmabadi, Sheikh Assadollah Tehrani, Seyyed Mohammad Marashi and Mirza Hossein Nayeb ol Sadr.

 

He was one of the strong opponents of Mirza Hossein Khan Sepahsalar, Nasseraddin Shah’s grand vizier. The basis of Sepahsalar’s policies was cooperation with the British, and from the early days of his taking the power in his hands he paved the path for the British influence in Iran. He granted a substantial concession to the deputy of Baron de Julius de Reuter that in case it was implemented it would lead to the complete economic and political dominance of the British over Iran.    

 

According to this contract, Iran was committed to confer the exploitation of all Iranian mines, forests, custom house, and land irrigations, construction of waterways and channels for seventy years and on the other hand the British were obliged to construct Iranian railway. Hajj Molla Ali Kani was strongly opposed to this contract and wrote a letter to the Shah criticizing Sepahsalar and Mirza Malkam Khan and invited the people to fight against the contract. After his return from Europe, Nasseraddin Shah removed Sepahsalar and then cancelled the contract.

 

Eventually, he died in Oct. 4^th, 1888, and according to his wish he was buried in the AbdolAzim Hassani courtyard.

 

Among Hajj Molla Ali Kani’s works we may refer to Tahqiq al dalael dar sharhe Talkhis ol massael, Tozih al maqal, montahi al maqal, A Dissertation on the Principles, a Book on Purity, and a Book on Sale.