Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani
Encyclopedia
Grand Ayatollah Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani (born 1942 Zanjan
; in Persian: اسدالله بیات زنجانی) is an Iran
ian theologian, Islamic philosopher, writer and Grand marja
of Islam. He published his objection to the velayat-e faqih (religious system in Iran) and claims this regime has nothing to do with Islam http://www.rahesabz.net/story/7783/.
and was promoted to Ijtihad
. Among his teachers were Allameh Tabatabaei, Morteza Motahhari
, Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Araki and Golpaygani.
He authored more than 10 books and is currently teaching Philosophy and Hekmat at Qom seminaries.
, Zanjani was a pro-democracy activist. In 1972 he was arrested and spent a year in prison. After the revolution, he was involved in the launching of the Islamic Republican Party. Zanjani was also a member of the committee to reassess the Iranian constitution. He was elected three times to Iranian parliament where he represented the city of Zanjan.
Grand Ayatollah Zanjani was among the influential clerics who supported ex-prime minister Mousavi and questioned the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency.
Zanjan (city)
Zanjan is the capital of Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran. It is an Azeri inhabited city. It lies 298 km north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey and approximately 125 km from the Caspian Sea...
; in Persian: اسدالله بیات زنجانی) is an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian theologian, Islamic philosopher, writer and Grand marja
Marja
Marja , also known as a marja-i taqlid or marja dini , literally means "Source to Imitate/Follow" or "Religious Reference"...
of Islam. He published his objection to the velayat-e faqih (religious system in Iran) and claims this regime has nothing to do with Islam http://www.rahesabz.net/story/7783/.
Religious authority
Grand Ayatollah Zanjani studied in Zanjan and QomQom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
and was promoted to Ijtihad
Ijtihad
Ijtihad is the making of a decision in Islamic law by personal effort , independently of any school of jurisprudence . as opposed to taqlid, copying or obeying without question....
. Among his teachers were Allameh Tabatabaei, Morteza Motahhari
Morteza Motahhari
Ayatollah Murtaza Motahhari was an Iranian scholar, cleric, 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...
, Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Araki and Golpaygani.
He authored more than 10 books and is currently teaching Philosophy and Hekmat at Qom seminaries.
Political career
Before the 1979 Iranian revolutionIranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
, Zanjani was a pro-democracy activist. In 1972 he was arrested and spent a year in prison. After the revolution, he was involved in the launching of the Islamic Republican Party. Zanjani was also a member of the committee to reassess the Iranian constitution. He was elected three times to Iranian parliament where he represented the city of Zanjan.
Grand Ayatollah Zanjani was among the influential clerics who supported ex-prime minister Mousavi and questioned the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency.
See also
- Islam in IranIslam in IranThe Islamic conquest of Persia led to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia. However, the achievements of the previous Persian civilizations were not lost, but were to a great extent absorbed by the new Islamic polity...
- Grand Ayatollah Bayat-Zanjani's official website (in Persian)