Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti

Soheila EinollahZadeh

 

Son of Seyyed Fazllolah, a great politician and Islamic jurist, and a great theorist, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Beheshti was born in a religious family in lanjan district of Isfahan. His elementary education and some years of his high school were passed in the same district. From 1942, he started to get religious teachings and continued his studies in Sadr Islamic School of Isfahan. Simultaneously, he learned English language. In 1946, he entered Qom Religious School to complete his studies. Later he went to the faculty of theology to get his B. A. at philosophy. He got his degree as PhD at philosophy in 1974. He married Ezzat-osh-sharifeh  Modarres Motlaq who was also of a religious family in 1952. He participated in the strikes which led to the fall of Qavam-os-Saltaneh, and delivered a speech in Isfahan telegraph officials' strike. He founded din o danesh (religion and knowledge) high school in Qom to train the youth for political causes and was its principal for ten years. He was active in some activities including the publication of Maktab e Islam journal and Maktab Tashayyo' quarterly. In 1960, he founded "Qom Islamic center of teachers and students" which was led by Dr. Mofatteh. He was one of the founders of Haqqani School, based on a new system for organizing teaching methods of religious schools.

 

 In 1963, he entered the organization for planning school textbooks of ministry of education. In early 1964, he left Qom for Tehran to join the opposition groups including Hei'at Mo'talefeh Islami (Islamic Coalition Groups). He was appointed by Imam Khomeini to its Islamic political council. In 1964, he was arrested because of a speech he delivered against Pahlavi Regime in Isfahan. In the same year, he left for Hamburg and founded the Islamic Center of Hamburg, and extended its activities to some other European countries. Later, he founded the Union of Persian speaking students Islamic Societies.

 

 

 

 In 1975, he was under arrest for a short time. Subsequent to Islamic revolution, he was one of the founders of "Combatant Clergies Community". He was appointed by Imam Khomeini as a member of Council of Revolution. He had a main role in the founding of Islamic Republic Party, and was elected as the secretary general of the party. He was influential in the establishment of the constitution. He was appointed as the head of Supreme Court. Eventually, he lost his life in a bomb attack by the Monafeqin in the party's center in June 28^th 1981. His tolerance, insight, knowledge and bravery were known to all.