Mutahhari Is Mutahhari

A cursory examination of the 22-volume Sahifeh-ye Imam—the largest ever compiled anthology of Imam Khomeini’s speeches, messages, interviews, religious decrees, permissions, and letters—reveals that the martyred Ayatullah Professor Murtada Mutahhari undoubtedly occupies a distinct station in the sight of the Great Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Idol-Breaker of the 20th Century.

Imam Khomeini’s communications with Ayatullah Mutahhari in the forms of religious permissions and personal letters, as well as descriptions of him in letters, speeches, messages, statements, interviews, autobiography, and memorial note during and after his lifetime as indicated in the encyclopedic authentic reference source suggest that the former considers the latter a trustworthy representative, compassionate teacher, erudite scholar, competent jurist, eloquent speaker, combatant ‘alim, and an epitome of martyrdom in the way of truth and freedom of thought. These benevolent views on him are consistent from the first volume of the anthology in which Professor Mutahhari is indicated having been granted authority [ijazah] on Dhu’l-Hijjah 24, 1388 AHS (March 13, 1969) by the Imam in the financial and religious law affairs up to the 21st volume (volume 22 being the indexes of the whole voluminous treatise) wherein he—in the Imam’s message dated Shahrivar 14, 1367 AHS (September 5, 1988) addressed to the Muslim nation of Pakistan and the ‘ulama’ of Islam on the occasion of the martyrdom of Sayyid ‘Arif Husayn Husayni—is mentioned as among “the freedom-loving ‘ulama’ of the Islamic world subjected to conspiracy and terrorism”.

For the Imam, Shahid Mutahhari is more than a student, representative, associate, confidant, friend, or son. Indeed, it can be said that for him, Mutahhari cannot be confined to a single dimension as he is an embodiment of a totality. Mutahhari is Mutahhari.

Video Link: Mutahhari is Mutahhari: The Making of a Thinker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXbEPvPNGTs)