Morteza Motahhari

Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari (February 3, 1920 – May 1, 1979) was an Iranian scholar, cleric, University lecturer, and politician. Motahhari is considered among the important influences on the ideologies of the Islamic Republic, and was a co-founder of Hosseiniye Ershad and the Combatant Clergy Association (Jāme'e-ye Rowhāniyat-e Mobārez). Motahhari was a disciple of Ayatollah Khomeini during the Shah's reign and formed the Council of Revolution of Iran at Khomeini's request. He was chairman of the council at the time of his ####assassination. Morteza Motahhari attended the Qom hawza from 1944-1952, and then joined the University of Tehran, where he taught philosophy for 22 years. Between 1965 and 1973 he also gave regular lectures at the Hosseiniye Ershad in Northern Tehran.

Morteza Motahhari wrote several books on Islam, Iran, and historical topics. His emphasis was on teaching rather than writing. However, after his death, some of his students worked on writing these lectures and manage them in order to publish them as books. As of mid-2008, the "Sadra Publishings has published more than 60 books of Motahari and about 30 books written about Motahari or quoted from his speeches. Some of them are described below. Morteza Motahhari opposed what he called groups who "depend on other schools, especially materialistic schools" but who present these "foreign ideas with Islamic emblems". In a June 1977 article he wrote to warn "all great Islamic authorities" of the danger of "these external influential ideas under the pretext and banner of Islam." It is thought he was referring to the People's Mujahideen of Iran and the Furqan Group. On May 1, 1979 Morteza Motahhari was assassinated by gunshot by a member of the later group after leaving a late meeting at the house of Yadollah Sahabi. Ordibehesht 12 (1 or 2 May), the Persian date on which Morteza Motahhari was assassinated, is celebrated as "Teachers Day" in Iran. Morteza Motahhari is the father in law of Iran's former secretary of National Security Council Ali Larijani. It was by Motahhari's advice that Larijani switched from Computer Science to western philosophy for graduate school. In honor of Morteza Motahhari, a major street in Tehran (Takhte Tavoos--Peacock Throne in English) was named after him upon his death shortly after the Iranian revolution in 1979. Morteza Motahhari Street connects Sohrevardi Street and Vali Asr Street, two major streets in Tehran.

Works:
• The oneness of God)
• Divine Justice
• Prophecy
• Resurrection
• Hamase -ye- Husaini
• A Glimpse of Peak of Eloquence
• A Glimpse of the Imams’ life
• A Glimpse of the Prophet’s life
• The Perfect Man
• The Illiterate Prophet
• The principles of Philosophy and the method of Realism
• A description done by Motahari on Manzume which is an old philosophical poem written by Mulla Hadi Sabzevari
• Imamate and leadership
• A selection of 10 articles
• A selection of 20 articles
• A selection of 15 articles
• Spiritual Freedom
• Being familiar with the Quran
• The future of the Islamic Revolution
• Reviving the Islamic thought
• Sexual Ethics
• Islam and Needs of the Universe
• Invisible Help in Man’s Life
• Man and Fate
• The Five Articles
• Teaching and Training in Islam
• The Attractive Force and Repellent Force of Imam Ali
• The Holy War of Islam and Its Legitimacy in the Quran
• Hajj
• Wisdoms and Advice
• Conclusion
• End of the Prophecy
• Reciprocal Services of Islam and Iran
• The Story of the Righteous Men
• Asfar Lessons
• The Six Articles
• Hafez’(Persian poet) Theosophy
• The Reasons for Tendency Towards Materialism
• Temperament
• Philosophy of Ethics
• Philosophy of History
• Imam Mahdi’s Insurrection and Revolution
• Generalities of Islamic Sciences
• Conversation of Wednesday
• On Hijab
• On Usury
• On Epistemology
• A selection of Philosophical articles
• Preface of Islamic Weltanschauung
• Battle of the Right and Wrong
• The System of Women’s Rights in Islam
• A Glimpse f Economic System in Islam
• Criticism of Marxism
• Islamic Movements in 100 Recent Years
• Sexual Ethics in Islam and in the Western World (English)
• Friendships and Guardianships
• Freedom
• Ayineye Jaam (Hafez poetic book with Motahari's notations on it)

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