Leader’s memory of his philosophy professor

Ayatollah Sheikh Mujtaba Qazvini was the philosophy professor of the Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and a lecturer and great scholar in Mashhad during 1330s and 1340s (1950s and 1960s). Ayatollah Qazvini was among the first persons who went to the city of Qom and pledged allegiance with Imam Khomeini (God’s mercy upon him) with the beginning of the movement against the Pahlavi regime; an allegiance which lasted until his death in 1346 SH (1967).
In a meeting with the professors, scholars, missionaries and researchers of Iran’s seminaries, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution said about him, “The late Sheikh Mujtaba not only recognized the Imam but promoted his way until he was alive.”
On the occasion of the anniversary of the passing away of this great scholar, the information center khamenei.ir has published a memory of the leader in praising this scholar.
Sheikh Mujtaba was a great man. He was both a clergyman and had a strong personality among those clergymen with whom I associated – as I have already said many times. It was very strange. Two or three years after returning from Qom, I had the opportunity to associate with him closely until his death in 1967. I felt his existence very deeply. He was an extraordinary man. His personality subdued everyone. Everybody who knew him in Mashhad respected him. I had witnessed his joint meetings with the scholars of Mashhad.When he said something, everybody accepted it whether or not; he was like this. This Mr. Amirza Javad and others treated with him as disciples; the treatment of follower and disciple. Hajj Sheikh Mujtaba was an extraordinary man … he was skilled in everything. He had studied philosophy. Not that he had only studied something – for example suppose – before Agha Mirza Mahdi Esfahani, no. Mr. Ashtiani said when Agha Mirza Mahdi had returned from Najaf, he had stayed with Agha Mirza Ahmad Ashtiani for several months. This was quoted by Agha Jalal Ashtiani. But I don’t know to what extent it is true. However, he had no record of studying philosophy. But Hajj Sheikh Mujtaba did. He was skilled in foreign sciences and such things. He knew everything.

Translated By: Mohammad Bagher Khoshnevisan