Contents

Ahmad Agha .............................................................................................................................................. 5

You Whom I Never Understand ................................................................................................................ 8
Back in the Day........................................................................................................................................ 12
School ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
The Test ................................................................................................................................................... 16
Transformation ....................................................................................................................................... 18
Lifestyle ................................................................................................................................................... 21
The Mercy of the Ahlul Bayt (A) .............................................................................................................. 23
Ascension ................................................................................................................................................ 26
Mobilization Forces (Basij) ...................................................................................................................... 29
Cultural Instructor ................................................................................................................................... 32
Dua Nudba .............................................................................................................................................. 34
Friday Prayer ........................................................................................................................................... 35
Field Trip ................................................................................................................................................. 37
The Guys of the Mosque ......................................................................................................................... 39
Ayat ul-Haqq ........................................................................................................................................... 42
Ayneh Varzan .......................................................................................................................................... 47
Two Wishes ............................................................................................................................................. 49
Sincerity .................................................................................................................................................. 51
Understanding ........................................................................................................................................ 53
Jamal ....................................................................................................................................................... 55
Missing .................................................................................................................................................... 57
Mystical ................................................................................................................................................... 59
Mystical Deeds ........................................................................................................................................ 61
Visiting a Friend....................................................................................................................................... 64
Muharram ............................................................................................................................................... 67
IRGC ......................................................................................................................................................... 69
Motorbike ............................................................................................................................................... 71
The Summer of 1985 ............................................................................................................................... 73
Characteristics ......................................................................................................................................... 75
Deployment............................................................................................................................................. 78
Salman Battalion ..................................................................................................................................... 80
A Complete Human ................................................................................................................................. 82
Dokuheh .................................................................................................................................................. 84
A Lantern Breakfast................................................................................................................................. 86
The Last Saga ........................................................................................................................................... 88
Martyrdom .............................................................................................................................................. 90
The Timeline of Jihad .............................................................................................................................. 92
News of Martyrdom ................................................................................................................................ 94
A Beautiful Scent ..................................................................................................................................... 96
Guidance ................................................................................................................................................. 98
Center of Remedy ................................................................................................................................. 100
Will ........................................................................................................................................................ 102
Remembering His Brother .................................................................................................................... 103
Letter ..................................................................................................................................................... 105
A Letter to Another Friend .................................................................................................................... 109
Photos ................................................................................................................................................... 112
We would like to thank the efforts of all those who helped in translating this book, in particular,
brother Amir Hussein for translating the book and sister Hoda Fakhari for editing.
 Ahmad Agha

Whoever is not in this circle, living for love

[Even] Without his death, by my verdict, pray the funeral
prayer for him

We have become accustomed to it. Our life has become an automatic machine that takes us
from morning to night day after day! It has been a long time since we have made time for
ourselves. We used to think a little about the past, the future, Allah, qiyamah (resurrection),
etc., but now television and other media and self-made preoccupations have even taken the
opportunity to think from us.

What are we really doing!? Where are we going? May it not be so that science, technology, and
other tools of civilization have enslaved us to sleep, irritation, and lust. May it not be so that the
days just pass by and our only savings from this world are missed opportunities. May it not be
so that we leave this ruin empty-handed and set out on a journey [back to our Lord], or for us
not to even know why we have come here.

After all, if our entire purpose in being on this planet is the same as it was said, then what is the
difference between us and...

Sayyid Shahidan from Qalam said, "If the goal is to fly, then the cage is better [left] as a ruin.
When a swallow sees flying as the goal, he is not afraid of the destruction of his nest... And if
there is no ladder from this earth to the sky, then only fat and self-indulgent worms will
develop."

Thus, if we are going to ascend from this ruin to our eternal abode, shouldn't we think of
building our house there?! Isn't it the case that here consists of unstable houses and there
consists of an eternal abode, and we are travelers on the move, so why do we spend our lives in
neglect?! Why is the control of our lives in the hands of shaytan (the devil)? Why do we not put
aside time for ourselves?

Why don’t our prayers and worship have the slightest effect on our Iman (faith)? And a
hundred other whys for which we do not even have the opportunity to contemplate for
ourselves.

‫٭٭٭‬
In this collection, we wish to turn to one of the excellent personalities of this nation. One who
was alongside us, resembled us, and lived like us, however simple and unadulterated. His entire
life was with purpose. He never surrendered to everyday life. He looked at life from a different
perspective and utilized all its moments well. He was an "abd (servant)" in the complete sense
of the word. Life and its physical beauty could not deceive him.

5
He built a bridge to perfection from all the material resources at his disposal. To achieve the
purpose of creation. To reach the Beloved (Allah). This young man lived near here, in a place in
the south of the city next to Molavi Bazaar. Although, I am not talking about past centuries! I
am not a fan of myths and creating legends either. I am talking about someone who lived with
us in these contemporary times.

He lived during this time just like us. He studied, worked. He lived life casually and in the same
manner, packed up his belongings, and left for the [final] destination. So simple and
unadulterated that no one got to [properly] recognize him, even his family! No one figured out
who he truly was.

But the difference between him and the likes of us was his “yaqeen (certainty)”. He recognized
the path. He realized what he needed to be after in this world. He had a plan for every minute
of his life. His life was in accordance with what God has drawn for human beings. He climbed
the stairs of perfection one after another and increased his distance from the ahl (people) of
this world.

He would say, “Why are you like this? Ascend a little, ascend so to see the spectacular [on the
other side]! Why have you attached your heart to this ruin? Why?” He would speak and we,
sleeping in negligence, just watched him! As time went on, his inner luminosity left more and
more of an effect on his speech and behavior, for he was not a captive of the traps of this
world. He would speak to us of above. That if you work for God and have sincerity, the
fountains of divine wisdom will flow to you.

And we were sure that he himself drank from the fountains of divine wisdom with all his being.
He had become heavenly and had nothing to do with the ahl (people) of this world. But his
heart ached for us. He would say, “One day we must leave this home. So why haven’t we gotten
ready for travel?!” But we failed to [truly] appreciate him. Until he, like the rest of the worthy,
ascended to the heavens with the caravan of the martyrs.

When his body was carried through the bazaar and mosque, even then no one [truly]
recognized him. I heard some scholars say, “Only one person recognized him. And he was the
one who nurtured this youth in his lap; the teachers of the Mystics, Ayat ul-Haqq Ayatullah
Haghshenas.”

When the people saw that he attended the funeral ceremony and visited the house of this
martyr and spoke of some aspects of his personality for them, only then did they begin to
understand what a gem they had just lost!

Ayatullah Haghshenas spoke of unique memories and qualities of this sincere servant of God
and said, “Agha, search all of Tehran and see if you can find someone like Ahmad Agha.”

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Indeed, Ahmad Agha spent 19 springs with us so that we could learn the correct way of life and
the correct manner of travel from this earthly word. May his memory live on!

7
 You Whom I Never Understand

Where has this torn rose come from? It has come from the trip to Karb o Bala.

Today is the 22nd of February, 1986. A crowd chanted this poem as they carried the coffin of
the recent martyr from the front of his house to the Mosque of Amindoleh. After doing so, we
accompanied the crowd towards Molavi Bazar. This mob of people, mostly young attendees of
the Mosque and students of Ayatullah Haghshenas, were devastated and crying heavily.

It had been a while since I started regularly attending the services of Ayat ul-Haqq, Hajj Agha
Haghshenas, a teacher of ethics and suluk ily Allah (wayfaring to Allah), and benefited from his
intense courses. Though, before this, I searched for years to find a spiritual teacher. Only with
the help of the Ullema Rabbani (Divine Scholars) of Tehran, I was able to arrive at the presence
of this self-built scholar. Afterward, I heard that the eminent teacher adored this student of his
very much, so I decided to join his burial ceremony. When the ceremony ended, they took the
martyr to the cemetery of Behesht-e-Zahra (Sa). I went along with them.

Because the martyr fell in battle, he was prepared for burial without ghusl (ritual bath) or a
shroud and just with his military uniform. A few rows above the graves of the mystic soldier,
Shaheed Chamran, a spot was chosen for him. I proceeded ahead to get a glance at the face of
the martyr. As the door of his coffin lifted, I witnessed his tender and innocent face. It was lively
and beautiful. It seemed as if he had drifted off to a deep sleep. He did not look like a deceased
person at all. His friends even informed us that it had been six days since his martyrdom.

I noticed that the hand of this martyr was also placed delicately on his chest in a gesture of
respect. One of his fellow brigadiers said, "In the final moments before martyrdom, an
explosive went off at his side. When he hit the ground, he asked us to raise him back up again.
Upon getting on his feet, he turned to the direction of Karbala, placed his hand on his chest,
and uttered these final words, ‘Peace be upon you Oh Aba Abdellah.’ Then, in that very state,

8
he departed from this world to meet his shroudless master. That is why his hand was still
placed respectfully on his chest.”

But it seemed strange to me. Why were the seminarians and students of Ustad Haghshenas,
who were otherwise very patient people, so devastated at the farewell of this friend of theirs?

We placed the coffin of the martyr inside the grave and started setting the stone coverings.
When the last person placing the stone covering came up from the grave, he looked very pale.
So I asked, "Has something happened?" To which he replied, "When I changed the last stone, a
sudden aroma of perfume appeared and filled the grave. Believe me, this scent differed from all
worldly scents.”

Today was the funeral ceremony of the martyr. Some friends notified me that Ustad
Haghshenas was going to be present at the ceremony. The departure of this particular student
was especially hard for him.

I stood near the entrance of Masjid Amindoleh, waiting to enter with the arrival of the Ustad. A
few moments later, this man of God appeared from one of the alleyways, and, with the
company of a number of his students, headed closer to the mosque.

Once in front of the door, the old soul raised his head and took a look at the people nearby.
Then in a groaning and dejected manner, he said, "Ah, Ah, Agha Jan..."
Again, taking a wistful sigh, he said, "Go out and search the entire of Tehran, will you find
anyone like this Ahmad Agha?"

Later, the nightly prayer time came upon us. On Monday nights and Friday evenings, he [Ustad
Haghshenas] would have gatherings to deliver sermons. They brought a chair for him and he
would begin his modest talks.

That night, he didn’t have his usual lectures between the two obligatory prayers. But he got up
from his place and took a seat in the chair. Then he started talking. The topic of his discussion
was regarding this very martyr. Near the end of his talk, he again let out a wistful and painful
sigh for the departure of this martyr. After that, concerning the greatness and status of this
martyr, he stated, “I saw him in my dreams last night. I asked Ahmad, ‘How are you?’ To which
he replied, ‘All that they say [about barzakh and the stages after death] is true; from the first
night of the grave, the questioning and so forth. But they took me without any accounting.’”

He paused and continued, "Friends, Grand Ayatullah Boroujerdi had an accounting done of him.
I do not know what this youth did to reach where he did."

I listened with astonishment, what did this youth do for this excellent teacher of ethics and
mysticism to speak about him in such a way?

After the ceremony, I asked one of the Martyr's friends, "How old was he?"

9
He said, “19.”
“What did he use to do in this mosque? Was he a seminarian?”
He replied, “No, he wasn’t an official seminarian, but he was a student of ethics and mysticism
of the esteemed Ustad. He would do educational work here and take admissions for the Basij
(Volunteer Forces).”

My astonishment grew. How did a 19-year-old reach this position that he receives such praise
from the Ustad?

Later that night, a number of us along with Ayatullah Haghshenas went to his home on the
north side of the Masjid.

As Hajj Agha entered the house, he stopped at the entrance and turned to look at the brother
of the martyr. Then in a sorrowful manner, recalled a memory saying, "Other than me and the
Khadem (Keeper) of the mosque, this grand martyr also had a key to the mosque." Taking a
fresh breath, he added, “One early morning, I was able to get to the mosque before the prayer
time. When I opened the door, I saw that someone was already there and occupied with
prayers." The eminent Ustad paused and went on, "I saw a youth in the state of prostration, but
not the kind of prostration done on the earth, rather, he was between the earth and skies, busy
with the glorification of Hazrat Haqq (Allah).”

While tears formed in his eyes, Ayatullah Haghshenas continued, “I went forward and saw that
it was this very Ahmad Agha occupied with the prayer. When he finished, he came next to me
and said, ‘As long as I am alive, don’t mention this to anyone.’”
After the confirmation of Agha Haghshenas, some of the closest friends of this martyr also
started to speak up. They mentioned what they had witnessed as well, and I just listened with
surprise.

Is it really possible for a youth to reach such a degree of human perfection?

‫٭٭٭‬
I do not know why! Why did I so randomly find myself in all the ceremonies of this martyr? Why
did I hear these strange words from the lips of this pious and enlightened scholar, why??
Perhaps this is a heavy responsibility placed on our shoulders. Perhaps God wants to introduce
one of his sincere and anonymous servants of status that lived like an ordinary person to
others. Perhaps in this day and age when humans are in constant strife with their animalistic
desires, Ahmad Agha is meant to be a role model for those wanting to traverse the path of
servanthood.
Even though decades have passed since his martyrdom, with the assistance of God, I’ve decided
to compile the memories of this divinely elevated Abd (servant). However, when we started this

10
work, we realized what other difficulties exist. Ahmad Agha was much greater than we initially
thought.

Although if the teacher of mystics (Ayatullah Haghshenas) hadn’t spoken about him with such
praise, the work would have been much harder.

What students and friends mentioned of his miracles and spiritual states made the work
harder. Did we have to compile and publish them too?

Can people tolerate these narrations? Will they not accuse us of making up fantasies? And just
like this, hundreds of other questions filled my mind to no avail. In short, his memories had
occupied our thoughts for a while. That was until we asked for the assistance of the martyr
through the guidance of God and began the work. Even if no one benefits from this book, at
least it is beneficial for the writer. His story is all about striving correctly.

Ahmad Agha was the cultural preceptor of the mosque. He frequently stressed to his students
about adherence to religious obligations and avoidance of sin. In many cases, he also taught
them the effects of their actions, the punishments associated with sins, and the felicity of good
deeds. He was like a physician curing the spiritual ailments and pains of others. His
prescriptions were all per the commands of the religion, the Quran, and ahadith (narrations). It
is for this reason that we can still trustfully look at the touching words of this teacher and
position them as a light in our path.

We have sought the help of God and asked the help of the noble spirit of this martyr in this
work. However, it was also necessary to document the mystical and strange stories of him. If
we only included people’s memories, then it wouldn't be as interesting. This time again the
martyr also came to our aid. Just when we were beginning to collect these stories, a report
reached us.

After 27 years, a small notebook was discovered from the insides of an old bag belonging to
Ahmad Agha. In this notebook, Ahmad Agha included some writings about his spiritual states
and experiences. This information helped to confirm all the memories of the martyr’s friends
and the lessons taught about him by Ustad Haghshenas.

Now the martyr himself had presented before us a strong source of evidence, so we said
bismillah and continued the work with resolve. We must tell the future generations; we must
tell them about the necessary role models of the correct path in life. We have to talk about who
they were and how they found the way. We must introduce these stars to the future
generations so they may better understand this path, God-willing.

11
 Back in the Day
Narrated by the Martyr’s Mother

Tehran was much smaller than what it is now. People had simple but pleasant lives. They were
content with little, yet goodness and blessings poured into their lives. God knows that even
though the economic situation of the people was much worse than now, they had more
happiness. When the doors of any home would open, an army of small kids would head
towards the alleyways! Homes were small and packed but filled with blessings. Early in the
morning the men said Bismillah and headed out to work, and the women stayed home,
occupied with cooking and cleaning. Hajj Mahmoud (the father of the martyr) and I were both
born in the village of Ayneh Varzan in Damavand. Destiny then brought us to Tehran and settled
us near Molavi Bazar. Hajji had a tea shop in the Sirous intersection. Back then, most
shopkeepers lived near the bazaar for convenience. God opened the door of His mercy for us,
granting us a good life with eight kids. In those years, we would take the kids to Damavand and
stay in the village for three months in the summertime. This way the kids would get away from
the house and bazaar environment and enjoy the village nature and climate. We had an apple
orchard and most of our family were also there.

In the summer of 1966, we went to the village again. I was pregnant at the time. In the last days
of July, with the help of a midwife, my last child came into this world. He was a very beautiful
boy who became the last child of the family.

I wanted to name him Wahid, but Hajji insisted on naming him Ahmad Ali. Ahmad Ali stood out
from my other kids from the very first day. He was a very calm boy, and didn’t cause any stress,
worry, or trouble. I loved him very much. He was quiet and never a bother to others. From
childhood, he minded his own business. In the house, 8 other children acted as guides for

12
Ahmad. In addition, Hajj Mahmoud didn’t fall short in the kids’ upbringing either. He always
took them to the mosque with him. Hajj Mahmoud was the kind of God-conscious businessman
who was disciplined by the pulpits of Sheikh Muhammad-Hussein Zahed and Ayatullah
Haghshenas. He was one of those who performed all three sets of his prayers in the mosque.

13
 School
The Martyr’s Sister

Ahmad was truly a role model in our family. Everyone loved him. When he turned 6 years old,
we registered him for elementary school. The school was called Kazemieh Islamic School,
located around the Loti Salah pass. He did well in school and we never had any issues.

The entire family were people of Namaz Awal Waqt (on-time prayers) and Taqwa (God-
consciousness). So, from a young age, Ahmad took to paying special attention to worship and
spiritual matters, especially prayer. Just like all other teenagers, Ahmad played with kids and
friends, studied and did school work, and helped around the house. But as he grew older,
Ahmad carefully implemented the ethics and behaviors taught in Islam and learned from
his elders.

For example, when he went to school, he would help those classmates who struggled financially
as much as he could. I remember when we made really delicious and large meals and everyone
got ready to eat, Ahmad would not come forward. He said, “In this neighborhood, many people
cannot even make such food. People can’t even make basic food without hardship. Now us...”

That is why even if he did come to eat, he did so with distaste. For kids his age, it was way too
early for such talks. In fact, most elementary-aged kids did not even think of such issues. But
Ahmad discussed them as a result of the strong insight he picked up from the mosque and its
pulpit. That is why I say the first sparks of perfection were ignited in him at this time.

Step by step, as he grew older, so did his perfection and spirituality. Eventually, he reached
such a position that we could not even compare to the dust of his feet!

14
We searched for a good school for Ahmad’s middle school education. That period was the peak
of the anti-religious activities of the Pahlavi regime, so my father sought everyone’s help for
entrance into a good school. With the help and guidance of his friends, my father registered
Ahmad at the school of Hafez. There, alongside the school’s normal curriculum, they would
focus on ethical and spiritual lessons. [Thus] to a degree, the place was free from the anti-
religious issues pushed by the government. The principal and vice president were also religious
and the school had great teachers on top of that. Every one of them had a role in the spiritual
growth of the kids in some way.
At that time, Hussein Agha, our older brother, was attending the Hawza (Islamic seminary) for
studies. The spiritual atmosphere of the home had become great due to his influence as well. It
was in such conditions that Ahmad worked harder to acquire higher levels of spirituality. I
remember one time we went to pick apples in our village in Damavand. Our mother brought
one stick from our uncle’s farm and got busy picking the apples. Then some hours later, our
uncle arrived. Ahmad went up and greeted him and said, “Uncle, we picked a stick from your
farm. Please give us permission and be content with it.” To tease him a little, our uncle
responded, “I am not content.” Ahmad kept insisting, “Uncle please, for the sake of God, please
forgive us...” But our uncle would respond even more seriously, “No!” That day, the persistence
of Ahmad and the behavior of Uncle showed how Ahmad was sensitive about the rights of
others from a very young age.

In the following years, Ahmad transferred to Marvi High school and became one of their
distinguished students in the field of mathematics. But his education was never completed for
some reason. In 1982, while Ahmad was midway into his second year of mathematics, he
decided to drop out!

15
 The Test
Dr. Mohsen Noori (our teacher at Shaheed Beheshti University)

In our neighborhood, we had been together since we were kids. Ahmad Ali’s house was on the
Northside of the Amindoleh Mosque, a street that has now been renamed “Shaheed Nayyeri.”
During our time in high school, Ahmad’s nature and temperament differed from everyone else.
His behavior was very spiritual and well oriented. He was also one of my best friends. When he
came to school, he brought delicious bread and cheese with him. Ahmad never ate alone
either; he always invited us to join in and our friends and I would do so.

Ahmad’s behaviors and attitudes were examples for all of us. He was my closest and best friend
during our teenage years. We played with each other, went to school together, and were
always in the same class from elementary to high school. My most special memories date back
to that time.

Sometimes he would say, “Let’s recite the short chapters of the Quran on our way to school.”
During recess, he carried a small sheet of paper in his hand and read from it often. When I
asked him what the paper was, he told me, “It is the Asmaa Allah. The names of God are
written on it.”

As we grew older, the difference between our spiritually widened more and more. He kept
ascending and growing with each step while I…

That which Ahmad paid the most attention to was prayer. He never abandoned praying on
time, even during times of hardship and problems.

Once our teacher told us we had an exam. But contrary to the norm, it had to be taken outside
the normal school hours. “Be prepared for the exam after the third bell tomorrow,” said the
school administrator.

16
Then tomorrow came and we were in the courtyard. They told us we had a few minutes before
the exam began. But right then the call for prayer played from the neighborhood mosque.
Ahmad slowly walked towards the prayer room of the school. I went after him and said,
“Ahmad, turn back, this teacher is very strict with the rules. If you came late to class, he would
not let you take the exam.” I knew Ahmad’s prayers were long; he also obliged himself to recite
the Tasbih (prayer beads) carefully. But no matter what I said, it was useless. Ahmad went to
the prayer room and began his prayers. At that time, they lined us up and we entered our
classroom. The school supervisor told us to wait for our teacher to bring the exam question
sheets.

I kept looking at the prayer room, worried about Ahmad. What a shame for an excellent kid like
him to be deprived of his exam. 20 minutes passed and we were still waiting in our seats. There
was no sign of the teacher, the supervisor, or Ahmad! The other kids were busy whispering and
chit-chatting with each other when suddenly the door opened and in came the teacher with the
exam questions.

We all stood up. The teacher angrily muttered, “God, this copier! It took so much time to get
these papers ready." Then he called on one of the students and said, “Get up and pass these
papers out.” But before he finished speaking, the door opened and Ahmad appeared from the
doorway.

Our teacher had this attitude where he never let anyone in the classroom after him. So I
anxiously waited for his reaction. But as his attention was towards the class, he simply said,
“Nayyeri, go and take your seat!" Ahmad took his seat and began answering the exam
questions. I stared at him in shock.

Ahmad got working on the exam just like us. The difference between me and him was that
Ahmad had already done his prayers, while I had not.

I thought a lot about this act of his. This incident was nothing but the result of Ahmad's sincere
deeds.

17
 Transformation
Dr. Mohsen Noori

Ahmad didn’t act that differently from others. He had a normal and simple life like everyone
else. In any gathering, he acted like everyone else. He laughed and talked with them. Ahmad
never saw himself as better than anyone, while all of us knew he was levels higher than the
rest.

Even from middle school, when we became involved in the revolutionary movement, I sensed
that I lagged far behind Ahmad. I felt like Ahmad knew God and served Him in a different way.

We prayed to get our obligations out of the way, but I saw that Ahmad clearly gained pleasure
from his prayers and munajat (whispered prayers) with God. Perhaps for a scholar and a mystic,
enjoying prayer is an ordinary thing, but for a twelve-year-old boy, it was unusual. I tried to
spend more time with him to see what he is up to. However, his behavior was very ordinary. He
talked and laughed like everyone else. The only thing I found was that when others trailed
down a wrong path, he went to them in private and very gently advised them regarding it. He
never let go of Amr be Maruf va Nay az Munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil). Only when
he saw people backbiting in public and talking behind the backs of others would he get angry.

In those circumstances, he didn’t care about age. He would approach the individual and firmly
ask him to stop backbiting. At that time, I was Ahmad’s closest friend. We shared secrets, too.
One day I asked him, “Ahmad, you and I have been together since we were kids. But I have a
question for you; I don’t know why in these past few years you have grown in spirituality while
I...”

18
He smiled and tried to change the subject, but I repeated my question again, “There must be a
reason for it; you have to tell me!” After much insistence, he finally raised his head and said,
“Can you handle it?”

With surprise, I asked, “Handle what?” He replied, “Sit down so I can tell you.” He took a deep
breath and said, “One day we went to Damavand with our neighborhood friends and the guys
from the mosque. You weren’t with us. There, everyone got busy playing and having fun. One
of the adults asked me, ‘Ahmad Agha, go and fill this kettle for me so we can make some tea.’

“Then he pointed in a direction and said, ‘There is a river there. Go and fetch water from it,’ and
I got going. It was a lengthy path, but eventually I started hearing the sound of water. A cold
breeze came towards me from the direction of the water. As I was trailing through bushes and
trees, I got close to the river.

“The moment my eyes fell on the river, I dropped my head and sat down in that very spot. My
body started shaking. I didn’t know what to do.

“I hid behind the trees there. No one could see me from where I was. The trees and bushes
were a good covering for me.”

I waited for Ahmad to continue with widened eyes. “Why was he so frightened,” I thought.

He continued, “I could easily have committed a major sin. Behind those trees near the riverbed
a group of young girls were swimming.

“I called on God right there and said, ‘O God, help me. O God, Satan is strongly tempting me. He
wants me to sin. Nobody will notice if I do, but O God, I will abstain from this sin for You.’

“I picked up the empty kettle and immediately got away from there. I collected water from
another spot, then returned back to the group. My friends from the mosque were still playing,
so I got busy making the fire. I gathered the sticks and prepared the fire with difficulty. A lot of
smoke entered my eyes. Tears continuously flowed from them.

“I remembered that Hajj Agha had told me, ‘Anyone who sheds tears for God, God will love
him. So, as tears fell from my eyes, I said to myself, ‘I will cry for God from now on.’

“I was very upset. I was still disturbed by the hard test that occurred by the river. As I shed tears
and talked with God, I thoughtfully repeated ‘Ya Allah, Ya Allah…’

“The moment I repeated this phrase, I heard a sudden voice from all directions. I automatically
got up and started looking around in amazement. The sound was coming from every pebble of
the wilderness. From every tree, mountain and rock, I could hear the voice!

19
“They were all saying, ‘Pure and Immaculate is our Lord, and the Lord of the angels and the
Spirit.’

“When I heard this voice, I looked around my environment in disbelief. I realized that my
friends didn’t hear anything since they were still playing!

“That evening, I walked around with my body trembling with fear. I heard that voice from every
particle of the universe!”

Ahmad fell silent for a moment. Then he calmly said, “From then on, little by little, the doors of
the higher realm opened up for me.”

Ahmad said this then got up to leave, but before doing so, turned back and said, “Mohsen, I
didn’t tell you any of this for self-praise. I told you so you know what station a human being can
acquire with God by abstaining from sin.”

Then he said, “Till as long as I am alive, don’t tell anyone of this incident.”

20
 Lifestyle
Ahmad Agha became a perfect role model of Islamic morality and behavior in his teenage years.
Anything he did was undoubtedly found in Islamic teachings. One of his special qualities was
the amazing respect he had for his father and mother. For example, whenever his mother
entered his room, he would always stand up out of respect.

This respect continued until I once saw Ahmad Agha coming to the mosque very upset.
Surprised, I asked him why he was upset. He replied, “Every time my mother enters my room, I
stand up. Today my mother complained to me, ‘Why do you do this? I get annoyed with all this
respect you show me.’”

Ahmad valued maintaining close family ties. When we skim through the pages of his diary, we
come across the life of an ordinary person. For example, at one point, he narrates, "I went to
my aunt’s house today and got to chat with them. Then I came home and went to get some
bread. After that, I rested for a bit, headed to the mosque, came back and got busy studying.”

It was the same way in the mosque. On the surface, his life seemed really ordinary.

Ahmad learned his manners from his teacher, Ayat ul-Haqq Hajj Agha Haghshenas. He was
always first to greet others, even little kids. I never saw Ahmad eating in an alleyway or street.
He was afraid that someone who struggled financially would see him eating and get upset.

Whatever pocket-money Ahmad Agha would receive from his father or from working, he spent
on others, especially those he knew had financial problems.

On multiple occasions, Ahmad Agha spoke to us in the mosque and people would join our
crowd one by one. He would humbly get up in front of every person to show his respect. God
knows how much his behavior and respect towards others influenced their spirits. Children who

21
were eager for affection were now in contact with a mentor who displayed such respect for
them.

I’ll never forget. Ahmad Agha never spoke of his irfani (mystical) deeds but rather he drew
others towards religious commands with his politeness and manners.

His family were relatively wealthy. Once his father brought him a pair of sneakers from
overseas. Such things were rare at that time. Ahmad brought the sneakers to the mosque that
very night and showed it to me.

He knew that my family wasn't very well-off financially, so he insisted that I take the sneakers,
saying, “I have another one.”

He did whatever mustahabat (recommended acts) he heard of. For example, I remember one
time he performed a chelleh (40-day ritual) sweeping the front of the house door. Whenever he
wanted to sleep at home, he was not content with a mattress nor a bed. Even though
everything he could possibly want was available at home, he used to get one simple blanket
and sleep with it.

For a time, he worked at a relative’s tea shop. He wasn’t in need of money but he knew that the
Ahl ul-Bayt (A) considered free time the worst danger for a youth. Ahmad’s job was to package
the tea. At that time, they would mix tea and sell it in yellow and red packages. He received his
paycheck at the end of the week and immediately calculated the khums (religious tax) portion
of it and gave the share of the sadat (descendants of the Prophet) to one of the righteous
sadats. Then he indirectly gave the portion of the Imam to Hajj Agha Haghshenas.

Ahmad Agha was a very avid reader. Some of his books were way above the level of teenagers
and young adults. He read them with the help of the seminary teachers. These books were later
collected and donated to the Qom seminary.

22
 The Mercy of the Ahlul Bayt (A)
A Group of the Martyr’s Friends

In a beautiful Islamic narration, known as the narration of Noah's ark, it is mentioned from the
holy Prophet (S), “My family is like the ark of Noah. Anyone who gets on this ship will find
salvation, and anyone who separates himself from it will drown.”

I sat by Ahmad Agha in the mosque. We talked about love and tawassul (intercession) to the
Ahlul Bayt (A).

Ahmad Agha said, “What I am about to say is not to show off. I want you to understand the
importance of connection and intercession with the Ahlul Bayt (A).

Then he continued, “One time, in the realm of dreams, I saw heaven with all its attractions. You
don’t know how beautiful it was. I no longer wanted to stay here and so I rushed towards
heaven.”

Ahmad went on, “But the further I went, the path before me became thinner and thinner until
it was the width of a piece of hair. I felt like I was about to fall down from that height at any
moment.”

“It was there that it occurred to me that this must be the Siraat (path), the same siraat which is
said to be thinner than a piece of hair and sharper than a sword.

“I didn’t know what to do! There was no way to go back or forward. Suddenly, I remembered
that God has provided us Shia Muslims with the favor of the Ahl ul-Bayt (A). So in a loud voice, I
yelled the names of the Infallibles.

“Suddenly, I saw that they had taken my hand and saved me from that dangerous situation.”

23
He added, “Look, in all the stages of life, after tawakul (trusting in Allah) we are in need of
tawassul. If we don’t have the favor of the Ahlul Bayt (A) with us, finding the true Siraat (path)
in this world is impossible.”

Then he referenced a luminous hadith by Imam Zaman (aj) which states, “We are completely
aware of all the events and incidents that befall you and nothing regarding your affairs is
hidden from us. We are aware of the mistakes and sins that the righteous servants of God avoid
but most of you commit. If it were not for our care and attention, trouble and affliction would
have overtaken your life and the enemies would have destroyed you.”

‫٭٭٭‬
I knew Ahmad before the revolution, from the time of our Quran sessions in the mosque. From
his teenage years, he hung out with people his age, playing and laughing with them.

But I can’t ever recall seeing a makruh (disliked) act from him, let alone any major sin. His life
appeared ordinary, but after getting to be friends with him for a while, you realize that he is
one of the sincere servants of God.

One time the basij (mobilization) program continued until three in the morning. Afterwards,
Ahmed discreetly headed to the sleep chamber of the mosque and began the night prayer.

I watched him from afar. His state changed with prayer. It was as if God was standing in front of
him and he, like a weak servant, was busy talking to his Lord. His loving worship seemed very
strange. That which we heard about the prayers of grand personalities, we saw embodied in
Ahmad Agha.

The qunoot of his prayer turned out long. So much so that I began to question if something had
happened.

After the prayer ended, I went to him and asked, “Ahmad Agha, did something happen during
your qunoot?”

Ahmad always thought carefully before giving an answer. That is why he first contemplated
with himself then said, “No, nothing special.” He wanted to change the subject like always, but I
insisted so much that he was forced to tell me. “I was performing qunoot when, all of a sudden,
it was as if I left the scene of the mosque. You can’t imagine what it was like! All that they say
about the beauty of heaven and the torment of hellfire, I witnessed in front of me. I saw all the
Prophets standing next to each other…”

‫٭٭٭‬
24
We got in the back of a car, and it was driving fast. There were no doors in the back, so at the
head of each turn, one or two of the riders would be thrown off.

The road was bad and the car was speeding. All of a sudden, I turned to look around and
noticed that I was the only one left in the car. At the next turn, the car went so fast that my
hands slipped too.

I almost got thrown out of the car, but at that moment, I managed to shout, “Ya Sahib az-
Zaman (aj)!”

Subsequently, someone grabbed my hand and stopped me from falling to the ground. I was
able to get through those turns safely.

At that point I woke up from my dream. I realized that we must not let go of the hand of Imam
Zaman (aj) even in the hardest situations, or else the storm of incidents in one’s life will destroy
us. Ahmad Agha shared this story to the guys at the mosque.

25
 Ascension
Ustad Muhammad Shahi

It was the early 1980s. The state of the country had become complicated with the raging war
between Iran and Iraq and internal and external enemies of the revolution.

Ahmad Agha and I were neighborhood friends. My house was located south of the Amindoleh
mosque, and his was north of the mosque.

I was four years younger than him, but his character had a large impact on me regardless.
Ahmad Agha paid very special attention to praying on time, such that he left all his work when
prayer time arrived. I will never forget those days. Ahmad Agha prayed like he saw no one other
than God. He was detached from the entire world and focused solely on loving munajat
(whispered supplication) with his Lord.

This trait of his had an impact on all the youth around him. Our friends also became committed
to praying on time. Although, all of this was the product of a teacher like Hajj Agha
Haghshenas.

He shared many stories and traditions about the virtues of praying on time and with presence
of the heart.

We lived in the neighborhood near the Molavi and Seyed Ismail intersection in Tehran. The
neighborhood conditions had an influence on everyone, encouraging disorderly and gang-like
behavior. But the strange thing was that we all thought of Ahmad as a sort of teacher.

At night, after our prayers in the mosque, we gathered together and Ahmad taught us about
Islamic rulings.

26
He then spoke to us and advised us a bit and we parted ways. Ahmad was an exemplary teacher
and guide in the way of God. We also noticed that Ayatullah Haghshenas sometimes called him
in the mosque and spoke to him quietly, advising him in a special manner.

I never saw Ahmad Agha advising someone in the presence of others. Instead, he took small
pieces of paper and noted down any moral faults he noticed, and afterwards, privately handed
them to his disciples.

As the days went by, Ahmad Agha’s spiritual state would change. No matter how much we
progressed, Ahmad Agha’s prayers grew more and more spiritual. Things got to the point where
he started distancing himself from others during prayer.

In the back of the Amidoleh mosque, there was a small corner that was out of sight. Only one
person could pray there. Ahmad Agha joined the congregation from that spot most of the time.

One time, when Ahmad Agha started his prayers, I went there and began praying next to him. I
immediately regretted my decision.

When Ahmad began his prayers, he became tense very quickly. Then his body started shaking,
like a lowly servant in the presence of a Majestic King.

His prayers were exactly like what we had heard from the great personalities of the Islam. He
was a weak servant before a Majestic God. If he was able to attain spiritual perfection in life, it
was because of this humbleness.

In our traditions, prayer has been introduced as the Meraj (ascension) of the believer. However,
when I look at my own prayers, I don’t see any signs of ascension to the court of God.

But in my whole hearted opinion and that of all Ahmad Agha’s disciples, his prayers, especially
those of the last few years of his life, displayed signs of spiritual ascent. As in, every prayer of
Ahmad Agha took him one step closer to his Lord.

Ahmad Agha was, however, very secretive, meaning he never spoke about his inner spiritual
states. But if someone paid close attention, they definitely noticed his luminous personality. I
personally heard him once mention the hadith, “Prayer is the point of ascension of the
believer.” Then he would very simply state, “Everyone, your prayers must result in ascension
for you to get a sense of the reality of servitude.”

That night, I insistently asked, “Ahmad Agha, has such an ascension happened for you?”
Normally in such situations he cleverly changed the subject. However, after my persistence that
night, he nodded his head in confirmation.

27
 ‫٭٭٭‬
In the journal that Ahmad Agha left behind, strange entries can be found. He wrote all his daily
activities from the year 1984 in this journal. In some pages it is recorded, “Today’s prayer was
extremely amazing,” and “I experienced a very good feeling during morning prayer today.”

I will never forget. One time, his eminence Ayatullah Haghshenas witnessed his prayer. Ahmad
Agha was only a teenager at the time. He turned to Hujjat ul-Islam Hajj Hussein Nayyeri, Ahmad
Agha’s brother, after and said, “I envy the state of this young man.”

I have no doubt that all this stemmed from Ahmad Agha's extraordinary attention to prayer. He
was a true servant of God.

‫٭٭٭‬
We headed to Behesht-e-Zahra (S) with Ahmad Agha and a few others from the mosque. Our
routine was such that we returned quickly from Behesht-e-Zahra (S) to reach the
congregational prayers at Amindoleh mosque. But that day we left too late so we decided to
pray in Behesht-e-Zahra.

We got to the end of the road. There was heavy traffic, so the car had to stop at the traffic jam.
Ahmad Agha looked at his watch, then started talking about praying on time, but no one
listened. He got out of the car, apologizing to everyone. I asked, “Ahmad Agha, where are you
going?”

“This traffic isn’t going to end anytime soon and we will not reach the mosque for on-time
prayers. With everyone’s permission, I would like to go to the other side of the road. There is
another mosque there where I’ll pray and then come back later.” Ahmad Agha apologized once
again and left. Wherever he was, he performed his prayers on time and with presence of the
heart.

Whether on the road or the street, it didn’t make a difference to him. Every place was the
property of God, and he, the servant of God.

28
 Mobilization Forces (Basij)
Ustad Muhammad Shahi

Everyone in the neighborhood respected their family. Hamid-Reza, the older brother of Ahmad
Agha, attained martyrdom in the first year of the [Iraqi-imposed] war [on Iran] . It was that
same year that he [Ahmad Agha] joined the mobilization forces.

While he was active in the mosque’s basij, all the neighborhood youth became attracted to his
manners and behavior. Anytime Ahmad Agha came to the mosque, a crowd of young people
would chase after him.

A while later, he was selected as the receptionist of the Basij center of Amindoleh mosque, a
mosque that was full of virtuous seminarians and pious people.

After some time, the responsibilities of the mosque’s educational program were also entrusted
to him. Apart from his activities here, he also did educational work at Imam Hassan (A) mosque.

The point that stood out to me was that, under normal circumstances, our hearts aren’t present
during prayer. Or if we have something on our mind, we can’t focus anymore.

Or if any executive work is entrusted to us, then there’s really nothing left! Our focus during
prayer is completely gone.

Ahmad Agha was a pious mystic whose prayers appeared as meetings with God. Usually these
kinds of people either distance themselves from society, or if they are involved in society and
the mosques, they try not to occupy themselves with any work so that their hearts remain
present during prayer.

29
We have seen many of these fake mystics that only know prayer and worship and nothing else.

But this virtuous student of Ayatullah Haghshenas learned about faith and action from his
teacher.

He took care of the burdensome work of the mosque and still grew in spirituality day by day! I
have seen some fake mystics who, after having prayed, get busy with zikr (remembrance of
God) and tasbih (glorification of God).

But when Ahmad Agha’s spiritual ascent and mystical journey in prayer would end, he joined
the other worshippers of the mosque in repeating takbir (proclamations of God’s Greatness),
“Allahu Akbar (God is Great), Khomeini Rahbar (Khomeini is the Leader).”

He would then cup his hands in front of his face in the gesture of supplication and say with the
rest, “O God, O God, till the revolution of the Mahdi...”

Then he got occupied with tasbihat of Hazrat Zahra (S) with full attention.

After the recommended acts post prayer, he would stand up and get back to basiji and
educational work.

However, the likes of Ahmad Agha were not rare amongst the students of the eminent Ustad,
and this was entirely due to the efforts of Hajj Agha Haghshenas.

As stated by that pious man [Ahmad Agha], “Ayatullah Haghshenas made mysticism and
wayfaring available to the lowest level of society. He made mysticism and friendship with God a
reality for the alleyways. There were many merchants and ordinary people who, in addition to
their everyday lives, learned spiritual wayfaring from this Godly man.”

‫٭٭٭‬
"Always be pure and watchful toward yourself. Conceal the faults of others. Be kind to
everyone, and evasive from all. As in, be with all, and without need of any. Be God-wary in any
type of uniform.”

Ahmad Agha followed this saying well. The activities of the mobilization forces were very
extensive due to the presence of the Munfiqeen [MEK], assassination attempts and the
conditions of the war. In those times, the Basiji forces spent some nights in the mosque to be
ready to respond if there was any sense of threat.

On such nights, Ahmad Agha would stay at the mosque like the other Basij members. He spoke
to others like a normal teenager. He talked, laughed, and treated everyone, even those younger

30
than him, with good manners. But in confronting those who backbited, he didn’t differentiate
between anyone.

Even if the person was his closest friend or someone older than him, he would respectfully ask
them not to continue with that conversation.

With his Basiji activities, Ahmad Agha operated like any other normal member. He would carry
a weapon and join the nightly patrol in Molavi Bazar and its surrounding neighborhoods with
other Basij units.

But the difference with him was that when we returned to the mosque at three in the morning,
and the majority of the Basijis took the time to rest, he went to the sleep chamber of the
mosque and began his midnight prayer (Salatul Layl).

In short, Ahmad Agha was a true Basiji, the kind whom Imam Khomeini wanted to be
resurrected with, and the kind whom the dear Imam kissed on the hands and arms.

31
 Cultural Instructor
Hussein Hassanzadeh

He always had a gentle smile on his face. I adored this young man. He was very kind and
respectful. I was always delighted to see him around the block. Back in those days, I wasn’t the
type to go to the mosque even though my father was. Then one day my father took me to the
mosque with him and placed my hand in the hand of that very young man and said, “Ahmad
Agha, I entrust my son to you!” Then he turned towards me and said, “Listen to whatever
Ahmad Agha says. If you want to go anywhere with him, you don’t need to get my permission.”
In conclusion, he handed me to Ahmad Agha. But one thing stood out as strange to me. What
could my father have seen for him to now be entrusting me to this sixteen or seventeen-year-
old young man?

A few nights passed after that incident and I stopped going to the mosque. One night, I heard
someone knocking on the house door. I went to open it, and as soon as I raised my head, I saw
with surprise Ahmad Agha standing behind the door!

The second my eyes fell on him, I froze. I fell silent for a moment, thinking that he had come to
ask me why I hadn’t been coming to the mosque.

I uttered, “Salam, Ahmad Agha. I swear to God that I was very busy these past few days. Forgive
me.” Smiling, he replied, “I didn’t come to ask why you haven’t come to the mosque, I came to
ask how you are. I haven’t seen you in two or three days!” I became very embarrassed. What
was I thinking and what ended up happening!

I said, “I’m sorry. I’ll start coming tomorrow.” Then another two to three days passed. In that
time, whenever prayer time came by I would be busy playing games and skip going to the
mosque.

32
One night, the sound of knocking came again. Being deeply invested in my games again, I ran
out towards the door with everyone but Ahmad Agha in mind. When I opened the door, I died
of embarrassment. With the same smile he always bore, he looked at me and called my name,
“Salam, Hussein Agha.” Then he proceeded to ask how I was. I did not say anything back. He
realized that I was embarrassed for not coming to the mosque and hence said, “Don’t worry! If
you didn’t come, you didn't come. I am here to ask how you are.” Finally, that night passed. The
following night, I set out for the mosque earlier than the call to prayer, and that was the
starting point of a habit.

Ahmad Agha attracted young people to the mosque so beautifully that it was a shock to us all.
At that time, he was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but his method of managing the
cultural sphere of the mosque was amazing. At night when prayers ended, we sat around each
other for a few minutes and the guys would recite hadiths or verses. Ahmad Agha talked less
and instead guided us more through action.

He always mentioned the good virtues of others. For example, when someone had many faults
and vices but committed half a good deed, he would point out that good deed in front of
others. He was always focused on strengthening the positive qualities of other people.

Believe me, Ahmad Agha was more considerate of us than a father or brother. He worked for
the guys with true sincerity and love. Once, I was sitting next to Ahmad Agha in a majlis for dua
Nudba. Ahmad Agha asked me, “Can you recite the dua?”

I replied, “I don’t mind.” So he immediately placed the microphone in front of me and I started
reciting. I began the dua with repeated errors. I made a lot of mistakes, but after finishing the
supplication, he really encouraged me, saying, “Amazing! That was excellent. It was very good
for your first time.”

This encouragement from Ahmad Agha made me continue reciting and now, with the help of
God and the favor of the Ahlul Bayt (A), I recite in mourning ceremonies.

I will never forget that one time when Ahmad Agha walked into the mosque during the lecture
of Hajj Agha Haghshenas. Upon noticing him, Hajj Agha sent a loud salawat, and then the entire
audience sent a salawat too. Ahmad Agha, becoming very shy, sat right where he was near the
doorway.

33
 Dua Nudba
He prayed the morning prayer with the congregation of the mosque. After prayer, he got busy
with the posteriors. He didn’t adopt the image of Ahl Al-Zikr (the people of remembrance), but
he engaged in a lot of zikr. One time I went and sat next to Ahmad Agha. I saw his lips moving
softly. I brought my ear close, and realized he is busy reciting Dua Ahad. After the morning
prayer, Ahmad Agha would always recite Dua Ahad from memory. He had a special devotion to
the luminous court of Imam al-Zaman (Aj).

He never abandoned those actions that bring a person closer to the Master of the Age (Aj).

Not long after the start of basiji and cultural programs in the mosque, Ahmad Agha suggested
that we introduce a Dua Nudba program too. When he announced that we will also have
breakfast, more people got on board. On Friday mornings, we would gather and start the dua
program.

He insisted that the prayer program be held in the sleep chamber of the mosque so that people
could participate also. He would sincerely engage in work from early morning. He prepared
breakfast and tea, and some weeks after the supplication would end, Ahmad Agha and I rode a
motorbike close to the Sirus intersection. There, we bought lentils for the guys. Thank God that,
at least for breakfast’s sake, the guys got together. Ahmad Agha would pay for breakfast from
his own pocket. He did various things to try and improve the spirituality and devotion of the
guys to the Imam of the Age (Aj).

In this very Dua Nudba program, he prepared many for the future and placed their hands in the
hand of their Master.

34
 Friday Prayer
A Number of the Martyr’s Students

Ahmad Agha centered the cultural and educational affairs of the mosque around the Ahlul Bayt
(A) and saw many great results this way. Of course, Ahmad Agha’s collective efforts for the guys
wasn’t just limited to Dua Nudba. Some Friday nights he took everyone to the Mahdieh of
Tehran for Dua Kumail. On the way back, he got us sandwiches and gave them a really
enjoyable time.

But he was also very upset that the guys from the Basij and mosque were not after the correct
understanding of religious teachings. He tried hard to raise their level of knowledge and belief.

On multiple occasions, he spoke with the officials of the mosque’s basij. He would tell them
that instead of organizing military programs, they should focus more on raising the group’s
level of knowledge. He decided to work on this himself. He attended the akhlaq (ethics) lessons
of grand scholars in Tehran with the guys. On religious occasions, he went with them to the
mosque of Hajj Agha Javdan. He had special respect for this divine scholar. And for a time, he
took the mosque’s educational officials to the gatherings of Hajj Agha Mojtaba Tehrani.

When he felt like the lectures were too heavy for everyone, he changed them and went to
other scholars.

Among the other activities that repeated nearly every week was the ziyarat program of Hazrat
Abdul-Azim Hassani. We went to ziyarat with the guys and sat in front of the shrine, and with
Ahmad Agha’s suggestion, Agha Mashallah recited eulogies for us.

35
We headed with the guys to the service of the late Ayatullah Nasser Sarrafha (Qarati) in the
mosque of Chal neighborhood. He was the father of two martyrs and a pillar of his time. He had
very good ethical advice for scholars and students.

Once he told us, “Agha! Do not abandon Friday prayers. You don’t know how much blessing
there is for the one that attends Friday prayers. Especially when the weather is very cold or very
hot (as in when less people show up)!” Other students of Ahmad Agha and I became overjoyed
at this statement; since for as long as we remembered, we went to Friday prayers with Ahmad
Agha.

Ahmad Agha got us all into Friday prayers. He gathered everyone with difficulty. Then we would
proceed to the Molavi crossroads, take a double-decker bus or van, and finally, reach Friday
prayers after much difficulty.

The guys had a habit of messing around, but Ahmad Agha continued to teach them religious
knowledge with indescribable patience and tolerance.

One of the guys would say, “I got into Friday prayers from the time of Ahmad Agha. After the
martyrdom of Ahmad Agha, I still tried to never abandon Friday prayers. Then one time in a
dream I saw myself standing in a street. Ahmad Agha came towards me from afar and
embraced me. It was a very beautiful feeling. I was seeing Ahmad Agha after many years. After
greeting each other, I looked at the street sign, which said, ‘Quddos Street.’ I realized this is
where Friday prayer is held.

I woke up at that moment and realized that the reason for Ahmad Agha’s special treatment was
because of my constant presence in Friday prayers.

36
 Field Trip
The Muhammad Shahi Brothers

Some days he advised me, “Don’t forget Hajj Agha’s lecture tonight!” He would say, “Kamal,
come tonight, there is important news!” During the nights he encouraged me to attend, the
atmosphere of the lecture of Ayatullah Haghshenas was transforming.

Those nights the lectures had a strange sense of holiness. I don’t know what Ahmad Agha saw
for him to speak of them like he did.

We had been friends since we were young. During our childhood years, we played football
together. But after Ahmad Agha became active in the mosque, I never saw him playing football
again. One time I saw him playing with a group of young people.

His football skills were amazing. He made amazing dribbles and no one could get the ball from
him. He was very good at the game.

He got past everyone, but as he reached the opponent’s goal post, he would pass the ball to
one of the young players and let him score the goal. Ahmad would join the team that consisted
of people not close to the mosque or the Basij.

After the game, I asked him, “Ahmad, what are you doing with these guys?” He said, “They
didn’t have enough players and asked me to play with them, so I accepted.” Then he continued,
“Football is a great tool for attracting the boys towards the mosque."

Following the game, a number of the guys from the mosque told me, “We didn’t know Ahmad
Agha could play so well!” I replied, “I had seen his skills before. I knew he played like a
professional.”

37
In fact, even when his brother was martyred, Ahmad Agha continued as one of the youth
players of Esteghlal. I told them, “Recognize the value of this coach of yours. Ahmad Agha is a
coach in everything.”

‫٭٭٭‬
Another cultural program that Ahmad Agha paid much attention to was field trips. Once, he
selected the guys of the mosque for a trip to Mashhad, and at that time, the facilities were not
like today.

The guys messed around a lot too. He was troubled a lot for this trip, but afterwards, we heard
him comment, “That was a very blessed ziyarat.” I said, “Of course for you it was nothing but
trouble and frustration.” Ahmad Agha, however, only spoke about the blessings of the trip and
the ziyarat of Imam Reza (A).

We did not know what Ahmad had seen on this trip. Why did he speak so favorably of it? Later,
we would learn from his journal about memories of a very strange incident relating to this trip
that read, “While I was in the Holy Shrine, I got very upset seeing the poor state of hijab [of the
women] among other things. Therefore, I decided not to enter the shrine for fear of looking at
non-mahram. Then, Agha [Imam Reza] instructed us to enter the shrine.”

On other pages, he has noted about the same trip, “On Tuesday, November 4th, I was in the
Holy Shrine. From 9:30 to 11:00, there was a very peaceful atmosphere. Praise be to God.”
Ahmad Agha also planned ziyarat programs for the boys to the martyrs’ graves in Behesht-e-
Zahra (S). We used to travel to Behesht-e-Zahra (S) with difficulty almost every week and
enjoyed a very good and spiritual ziyarat.

38
 The Guys of the Mosque
A Group of the Martyr’s Students

“I have utmost certainty in that God was very kind with Ahmad Agha for his display of tolerance
and patience amidst hardships in training the guys of the mosque,” one of the elders of our
neighborhood would state. Being tolerant with the boys in their adolescent years, assisting
them and not punishing them are the basic principles of education.

Ahmad Agha, who started training others at the age of sixteen, acted by all these principles
without any teacher for himself. Additionally, it must be added that the youth of Amindoleh
mosque were very different from the youth of other neighborhoods and mosques. They were
very especially keen on mischief and the like.

Perhaps it can be said that none of the teeangers and youth there were into spirituality and
silence (a spiritual exercise) like Ahmad Agha was. Their methods of mischief were also strange.

In the mosque, we had a khadem (servant) by the name of Mirza Abu Al-Qasem Rezai who was
a very pious and simple man. He had weak eyesight, and because of this, I saw Ahmad Agha
helping him with the cleaning of the mosque many times. However, the boys bothered him as
much as they could.

One time, they went to the mosque warehouse and saw a coffin lying inside. One of them
suggested, “I will lay down in the coffin and pull a cover over my body. You guys go and bring
the khadem of the mosque here and tell him the mosque warehouse has ‘Spirits and Jinn!’

And so the guys went and brought the khadem to the warehouse. They gave him a good scare,
warning him to be careful on the way. Then when Mirza Abu Al-Qasem arrived in front of the
warehouse with the rest, the boy who was laying in the coffin began shaking the cover! The first

39
person to run away was the khadem of the mosque. In short, the guys really wreaked chaos in
the mosque.

Or for example, another of them took a cockroach in his palm, shook the hands of others and
released the cockroach into their hands. People complained about such behaviors to Ahmad
Agha all the time, and yet he still spoke to the guys patiently and tolerantly.

‫٭٭٭‬
At the same time that Ahmad Agha spoke about spiritual matters, some of the boys would be
thinking about their childhood misbehavior. They would go and, for example, put the mosque’s
turbahs (prayer stones) on the heater. The turbahs got really hot. Then they looked around for
someone praying, and as soon as that person went down for prostration, they switched his
turbah.

Or for example, I remember a number of them used to bring firecrackers with themselves.
When the khadem was distracted, they threw the firecrackers in the heater and quickly escaped
the scene.

Ahmad Agha took on their training in such an environment. He tolerated the guys and the
difficulties of the job and, praise to God, achieved results from his efforts. I can confidently say
that a number of his students all reached high levels of knowledge and marifah (gnosis).

It was nighttime. One of the guys went to the khadem of the mosque and said, “Can you check
if this part of my wudhu (ablution) is correct?” Then he wiped his hand from the head to the
arms, the body, feet and continued till the tip of his toes. Mirza, who had a pure soul, became
upset and said, “What are you doing? This is incorrect!” But that youngster started messing
with him, “It’s fine.” Then he continued with anointing his legs after his head. He continued till
the khadem became very angry.

‫٭٭٭‬
One of the guys who was really tall went and picked up a cloak and turban. He put them on very
sophisticatedly and after the prayer, when everyone had already left, walked into the mosque.
Only us youngsters were inside the mosque. Ahmad Agha was not there either.

Mirza Abu Al-Qasem, who had a very kind and pure heart by nature, came and embraced him
and asked, “Hajj Agha, have you come from Qom?” To which he replied, “Yes.” The poor man
could not see very well. He then said, “Please come and advise these youngsters a little.” Then
he turned to face us, “Come forward and learn from Hajj Agha.” Hajj Agha, subsequently, came
forward very seriously and sat down amongst the boys.

40
Then he uttered a Bismillah (In the Name of God) and began speaking. Mirza Abu Al-Qasem also
sat in front of him and listened to his words. We were all dying from laughter but struggling to
contain ourselves. He lectured us with a very solemn tone, repeating the words of Ahmad Agha.
That was until the end when he suddenly changed topics and started talking about the game of
marbles. Mirza immediately stood up from his place. With his weak eyes, he stared at the face
of that person and said, “Wait…..it’s you?!”

Only God knows, after each act of mischief of the guys, how much verbal abuse from the
people of the mosque increased toward Ahmad Agha.

Perhaps there was nothing harder in the mosque than the condemnation that Ahmad Agha
received for the mischief of his students in the meetings of the Basij and the trustees of the
mosque.

But he took on all this bitterness with a smile. He knew that the Holy Prophet of Islam (S) had
said to Amir Al-Muhmineen (A), “Oh Ali, if even one person finds guidance through you, it is
greater than that which the Sun shines over.

The fruits of his labor are visible now. From amongst the small group of his students, several
physicians, engineers, clerics, businessmen, and pious individuals have been brought up who all
attribute their spiritual growth to Ahmad Agha’s efforts.

They are still on the path that Ahmad Agha prepared for them. As one of his students used to
say, “If the amount of effort that Ahmad Agha dedicated towards us was put towards a plane
tree, it would have borne fruit!”

41
 Ayat ul-Haqq
In order to properly speak about Ahmad Agha, it is necessary for us to first get to know his
esteemed teacher better, the person under whose oversight Ahmad Agha was disciplined and
had complete obedience to his instructions.

Ayatullah Hajj Mirza Abdolkarim Haghshenas Tehrani was born in the year 1920 to a religious
family in Tehran. His name was Karim and his family name was Safakish.

Their father was the governor of Tehran at that time and thus known as "Ali Khan". He had
three children named Wali, Karim and Rahim.

His paternal home was located on Iran Street, considered one of the most important
neighborhoods in Tehran. The father passed away when his children were still young while their
mother lived until he turned fifteen. He always remembered his noble mother with praise.

He would say, “My mother was illiterate, yet she read the Quran and the book of Mafatih very
well! She could even distinguish the verses of the Quran amidst other words, and she attributed
this understanding to a dream she had of Imam Ali (A).

In the dream, she was given two loaves of bread from his Holiness. One of them the devil robs,
but the other she manages to safeguard and eat. When she woke up the following morning, she
could recognize and read the verses of the Quran.”

With the departure of his mother, his eldest uncle, Hajj Mirza Ali stepped forward and
proposed, “From amongst the boys, Karim can come to our home. He can be our child.”

42
So he spent 2 to 3 years in his uncle’s home. In this period, he went to Dar Al-Fonun High
School. His uncle wanted him to go to the market and start a business after his studies.

That was, after all, the custom of the time. On the other hand, the Dar al-Fonun school was
composed of both a university and government offices. That was the path his brothers
undertook and through which they reached high posts in the Foreign Ministry.

But God had ordained a different fate for Karim. By the end of high school, his heart was drawn
towards something else.

He succeeded in reaching the presence of Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Zahed. Sheikh Zahed did
not have much formal education, but he acted on what he learned beautifully. He was very
pious, detached from the material world, and an ascetic.

He had many students, some of whom would go on to reach lofty [spiritual] stations. With his
guidance, Agha Haghshenas left his uncle's home for a chamber in the Jameh Mosque of
Tehran.

During his time in Dar al-Fonun, he was able to master the latest mathematics along with the
French language. He, consequently, became an accountant for a business owner and asked him,
“I will accept a much lower salary under the condition that you allow me to go to the mosque to
pray on time and study in the afternoons.”

Agha Haghshenas attended the classes of Ustad Sheikh Muhammad-Hussein Zahed for many
years and benefited a lot from him. After some time, he began searching for a loftier teacher.
That is when he met Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Haeri, famously known as “Mufasser.”

He would say, “The night before I met him, I was shown a grand Sayyed sitting on top of a
minbar (pulpit) in a dream. They said to me, ‘He has to take care of your upbringing.’ The
following day, when we reached the presence of Ayatullah Mufasser, I realized that he was the
same person shown to me the night before!”

Hajj Agha Haghshenas told us on multiple occasions, “In the beginning of my studies, I became
afflicted with lung issues. Sometimes I would even cough up blood. Tuberculosis was a
dangerous disease at the time, and there was a high probability that I had it. Doctors and
medicine had no effect either.

One day, I gave away all that remained of my savings as saddaqa (charity). That night, I saw
Hazrat Wali Asr (Aj) in my dream and requested intercession from him.

He ran his blessed hand on my chest and said, ’This illness is nothing special. What is important
are one’s moral ills.’ Then he pointed to my heart. In short, the disease was overcome.”

43
The issue of military conscription came up. He was called for the army, and this was not
something that people consented to in the time of Reza Khan. For this reason, he altered his
passport with the help of certain connections. “Karim” was changed to “AbdulKarim” and
“Safakish” to “Haghshenas.” His age also saw an increase by ten, twelve or maybe even more
years. Hence in his passport, his year of birth is recorded as 1907.

He used to tell us, “I went to the army medical inspection site to follow up on my military
conscription case. As I was climbing up the stairs, my heart started beating very fast. I said to
myself, ‘I am not afraid, so why is my heart beating like this?’

“At the inspection site, the military doctors examined my heart. The examiner then told
another, ‘Quickly write his exemption so he can leave, this young man has at most two days left
to live!’

“In any case, an exemption was issued and I walked out. Going down the stairs, my heart rate
returned to normal!”

Hajj Agha had the blessing of meeting many scholars in Tehran, including Ayatullah Shahabadi
and others, and later on traveled to Qom.

For a time, he was the student of Ayatullah Hujjat and Imam Khomeini. Then, when Ayatullah
Burujerdi came to Qom, he was at his service day and night. He attended all of Ayatullah
Burujerdi’s sessions and classes of fiqh (jurisprudence) and usool (principles of jurisprudence).

He took notes on everything, such that today, those expositions remain among his academic
legacy. Furthermore, he received the right of ijtehad (independent interpretation of the
shariah) from four major scholars of the time and continued his studies and research.

In 1953, Sheikh Muhammad-Hussein Zahed, the leader of Friday prayers at Amindoleh Mosque
in Tehran’s Molavi Bazar passed away.

He had written in his will to invite Ayatullah Haghshenas to manage and lead the prayers of the
mosque, having stated, "This individual, in terms of both knowledge and actions, is above me.”

The elders of the neighborhood and recognizable leaders of the mosque then traveled to Qom
and met with Ayatullah Burujerdi. They requested that he appoint Hajj Agha Haghshenas to the
leadership of Amindoleh mosque.

According to the accounts of those who attended this meeting, Ayatullah Burujerdi said, “Do
not think that a simple scholar is coming to Tehran. Rather, [it is as if] you are taking me to
Tehran with you.”

44
Ayatullah Haghshenas used to say to us, “My return to Tehran was very costly. Qom was a place
of progress and a path for knowledge and action for me, and under no circumstance did I desire
to come to Tehran.”

Those were very hard days for him. Seeking advice, he resorted to an old friend, his eminence
Imam Khomeini. Imam in return told him, “It is your duty. You must go.” He asked him, “Why
do you not go?” Imam replied, “I swear on my ancestors [The Holy Progeny of the Prophet (S)]
that if they had asked for Ruhollah, I would have surely gone.”

Whatever the case, Agha Haghshenas came to Tehran. The students of the late Agha Zahed
then turned to him. The seminary students of Tehran went to him for their studies.

In the beginning of his youth, he received an instruction that a large part of his spiritual
wayfaring would require that he never let go of three things: Congregational and on-time
prayers, the Midnight prayer, and studies along with academic discussions.

At the start of the 60s, he directed the youth of Amindoleh mosque, who were previously
students of the late Agha Zahed, to the taqleed (imulation) of his eminence, Imam Khomeini.
They all obliged.

That group later served as the essential core of the Islamist party and were of the first
supporters and sincere companions of the Imam, helping establish aspects of the coming
movement and Islamic Revolution.

Ayatullah Haghshenas had many special qualities. We will address some of these qualities:
Patience at the face of affliction and disease, such that he kept patient during very long periods
of illness.

Attending to the wishes of the people and solving their problems, such that during the entire
difficult phase of the [Imposed Iraq-Iran] war, under the bombardments and missile strikes of
cities, and the desolation of Tehran, he never left and kept attending the mosque and remained
concerned about the people. Many times, he committed to 40-day rituals of Ziyarat Ashura in
hope of these catastrophes being lifted.

The third quality can be noted as the unique respect and honor he had towards his wife. He
would advise others to do the same as well. If he knew someone was not behaving properly
with their wife, he got very angry. He used to say, “I see my perfection in the service to my wife,
and I consider myself obliged to provide all that she asks for.”

The fourth quality is that he was very sensitive to the sin of gheybat (backbiting). Of course, this
is a trait that is shared by all scholars of akhlaq (ethics) and those belonging to spiritual
wayfaring.

45
For some time, he served as the headmaster of the Philsoof Al-Dawla and the Sepahsalar
seminaries and held classes of his own. The miracles and anecdotes of this divine man are so
numerous that there are dozens of books written in regards to his virtues.

Eventually, this pious teacher passed away at the age of 88 on July 24th, 2007. His coffin, after
the performing of the [funeral] prayer by Ayatullah Mahdavikani, was taken to the holy Shrine
of Hazrat AbdulAzim and laid to rest there.

46
 Ayneh Varzan
Hujjat Al-Islam Islamifar

It has been a couple of years since I’ve been going to the Damavand region for propagation [of
religion] on behalf of the Hawza (seminary) of Qom. I spend the months of Ramadan and
Muharram in service of the kind people of the Ayneh Varzan village. Due to the special
veneration that I had of the martyrs, I mentioned them on the pulpit often. During my first
days of coming to this village, I realized that the believing people there had gifted fifteen
martyrs to the path of Islam and the revolution.

I always speak about the martyrs to the people and name those from such villages on the
pulpit. But something was strange for me. Whenever I got to the name of Shaheed Ahmad Ali
Nayyeri, people reacted strongly. Why did they act like this with the memory of this martyr?
Who was he?

I inquired from a number of elders of the village, and they told me, “He was born here but
resided in Tehran. He only visited during the summer and in these last few years, we saw
Ahmad Ali even less.

“You have no idea how great of a person this young man was. Any virtue that we knew of was
collectively manifest in his being.” Afterwards, I got the opportunity to meet one of the seniors
of the village that was a big landowner in the area and of the elders of Damavand.

Appearance wise, he did not seem mosque-going and whatnot. I approached him, offered a
greeting and asked, “Excuse me, do you happen to have any memories of Shaheed Ahmad
Nayyeri?”

47
He looked at me and, with surprise, said, “You mean Ahmad Ali?” I excitedly confirmed. He
glanced at my face, tears forming in his eyes. Then he repeated his name a number of times
and began crying in a very loud voice.

I became upset. When he calmed down a bit, I posed my question again. With a lump of
sadness in his throat, he said, “Neither I, nor any of the locals here or anyone else, truly knew
Ahmad. Only God knew Ahmad. He was an angel in the clothes of a human being. He came for
some time so our children and the locals of this region can learn about God and benefit from
his being.”

Tears fell from his eyes again. He continued, “When Ahmad used to come here, he would
gather all the boys. He took them to the mosque and spoke for them. He taught them the
Quran, mentioned religious rulings, played with them and so on. Many of these boys were older
than Ahmad Ali in terms of age, but they all accepted him.”

“The locals loved him. Ahmad was an expert in attracting young people to the mosque, God and
religion. The boys gathered around him in the jameh mosque of Ayneh Varzan and did not
separate from him for a moment. Ahmad Ali guided many of the locals here. A number of them
traveled the way of God and religion and became martyrs after Ahmad. May his memory live
on, what a person he was. The elders amongst us were also influenced by him. You don’t know
what a gem was lost.

“God knows, when he used to walk through these fields and alleys, it seemed like the walls and
doors saluted him!”

The old man said all this and again, tears dropped from his eyes. When the wife of this same
man noticed his crying, she inquired with surprise, “Hajj Agha, what happened? I have lived
with Hajji for 50 years now and I have never seen him cry! What did you say to him that has
caused him to cry?!” In short, with every senior person of this village that I visited, a similar
situation occurred. Small or big, everyone recalled Ahmad Agha with praise.

Even some of the children knew of Ahmad Agha and would say, “We have heard from our
father that he was a very good person.”

48
 Two Wishes
Dr. Mohsen Nouri

I can say with certainty that Ahmad Agha had no presence of “self” in him. He did not have any
egoism to act as a barrier between him and his Beloved (God). This is perhaps why he had
seemingly attained some secrets of the unseen.

Sometimes he would speak to us about certain topics for the benefit of our guidance. He used
to make predictions and forecasts of the future, which were very valuable to us. I was a friend
of Ahmad Agha’s. I remember one day in the last few years, he said something very striking to
me somewhere. I had a secret between myself and God that no one knew.

Ahmad Agha said to me discreetly, “You have two wishes, and you have asked the two wishes
from God. Whether or not God grants them to you depends on if you take good care of your
actions and soul on the day of Ashura.” I became really shocked.

He advised me, “If you wish to observe precaution, then be vigilant of your actions the day
before Ashura and the day after Ashura, and be careful not to be negligent.” He continued,
“God will fulfill one of these wishes this Ashura as long as you are vigilant of yourself.”

Thank God I was in a very good state that year. I tried very hard not to commit any sins. Then
Muharram came by. During the first ten days, I increased my self-vigilance. On the day of
Ashura and the day after, I was very careful to not commit a mistake. After two to three days, I
saw Ahmad Agha at the Amindoleh mosque, and he squeezed my hand like usual and said,
“Great work! You carried out your duties excellently. God will grant you one of your wishes.”
Then he said to me, “Would you like me to tell you about your wish?”

49
On the basis of the trust and love that I had for him, I responded, “No, it is not necessary.” After
a couple of days, my first wish was granted. Time passed until the eve of Arbaeen. He told me,
“God desires to grant you your second wish, but He is waiting to see if you take care of your
actions on the day of Arbaeen.” So I was again very heedful until the day of Arbaeen. On the
day of Arbaeen, however, I made a mistake.

Someone started backbiting, and I had a duty to stop the ugly act. But due to caution, I said
nothing, stood up and even laughed a little. I quickly came to myself and realized my
wrongdoing. After that, I was very careful to make sure another mistake did not result from my
actions. I did the same the day after Arbaeen.

Following Arbaeen, I went to Ahmad Agha. I inquired about myself from him, and he stated,
“Unfortunately, the situation does not look good. God will not grant you that wish for the time
being.” Then, referring to the gathering of backbiting, he said, “You could not be vigilant when
it was needed.”

This spiritual grasp over his friends made Ahmad Agha more than just a friend for us, he was a
coach and an ethics teacher as well. We and our circle of friends loved Ahmad Agha very much.
We shared an extreme fondness for him. All of us, the guys of the mosque and I, loved him.

However, Ahmad had developed so much, he had traversed so many high stations and recently
gotten very close to Hazrat Haqq (Allah) that it seemed very hard for him to stay in this world
any longer.

50
 Sincerity
A Number of the Martyr’s Disciples

It has been narrated in a Hadith Quddsi, “Sincerity is a secret from among my secrets which I
have entrusted in the hearts of my beloved servants.”

He worked sincerely for God. Ahmad Agha used to do the most arduous work in the mosque.
Once I remember that he wanted to turn on the mosque heater. Suddenly, the sound of an
explosion was heard! Gas had accumulated in the heater. God really showed mercy. A large fire
came out of the mouth of the heater and burned all of Ahmad Agha's eyebrows and beard. But
Ahmad Agha was very tolerant. He did not even let out a sigh.

Another time, while decorating the mosque for mid-Shaban celebrations, he fell from a ladder
and broke his arm. But none of these incidents affected him in the slightest. He continued his
work in the mosque earnestly.

He knew that Hazrat Zahra (Sa) had said in a beautiful hadith, “Whoever offers his sincere
worship to God, God will send him that which is in his best interest.”
I had heard that Ahmad Agha was busy scripting a copy of the Quran. He once wrote the entire
Quran and then gifted it to one of his friends.

Now he had started to write one for a second time. However, he didn’t finish the work this time
around. I inquired, “Well since you have started already, finish it then give it to me.” He
responded, “No, at first my intentions were sincere, but now I feel that I do not have the
required sincerity for this work anymore.”

51
Ahmad, according to his mother, did not possess any wants or desires. We never heard him say,
“I like this or that kind of food,” or “I want this or that thing.” He was not like that at all. His life
was simple and free of contamination [from the carnal self]. He never chased after fashion,
stylish clothes, or the like.

Of course, do not be mistaken, Ahmad Agha was always put together. A simple and clean coat,
short hair and beard, a joyful and uniquely calm face that drew a person closer to God were
some of the characteristics that came from the sincerity of Ahmad Agha.

Many times he advised his students, “So and so person’s facial Nur (light) has decreased!” “So
and so person, you are not accompanied by good friends!” Conversely, he had the same
attitude towards the good deeds of others. He mentioned these things with sincerity.

Ahmad Agha paid attention to say these things for those seeking spiritual growth. He spoke to
them with sincerity and tried to bring them a little higher.

52
 Understanding
Friends of the Martyr

Many times I have thought to myself what is “the way towards salvation and felicity”? Is it in
“distancing from the people” or “being with the people”? Is it possible to become a friend of
God and live life? How can conflicting acts be done together? To socialize with people, study,
work, laugh and cry with friends, taste the bitterness and sweetness of time, and
simultaneously, experience ascension in prayers.

Many times I’ve asked myself, “Has the path to the station of servitude reached its end? Are the
likes of Ahmad Agha unattainable role models?” And hundreds of other questions. But looking
at the daily life of Ahmad Agha, we see that the way to reach God, the ones near Him (Qurb
Elahi) and those amongst His friends (Awliya Haqq) is created in the context of the journey of
life. It is under these circumstances that the entire system of existence becomes the cradle of
human growth.

It should be noted that the important difference between Ahmad Agha and others stemmed
from his "understanding" of the meaning of existence. In this manner, his actions, however
small, were spiritual and of immeasurable value. He was a rational human being, and this was a
prominent trait of the disciples of his eminence, Ayatullah Haghshenas.

This trait is important because, in our time, false and debilitated mysticism has become a threat
to the lives of lovers of God. Unfortunately, we see that some people, neglecting the
enlightened path of intellect, have chosen a path of non-Qur'anic, irrational, and self-made
mysticism.

They mistakenly believe that religiosity and friendship with God necessitate the abandonment
of material life and disregard for human responsibilities. These are individuals who have led
themselves and their simple-minded followers to devastation.

53
But Ahmad Agha, a wise mystic, paid attention to all the duties of life. Studies, work, sports,
cleanliness, relationships with people, political and social analysis, and so on.

All this contributed to him being made an exemplary role model. The memory of his work and
actions still lingers in the minds of the neighborhood boys. The time that he used to play
football with them, prepare tea for the people in the mosque pantry, and so forth.

Ahmad Agha's correct understanding of life and servitude took him to the peaks of devotion. At
a young age, he dealt with events and incidents like an experienced adult. He saw the truth
behind one’s deeds.

We went to Ayneh Varzn village with him once. After some fun and games, we sat down next to
each other. A bee was swirling around my face. I tried to get it away from me with anger and
frustration. But Ahmad Agha, who was next to me, paid no attention to that bee and instead
watched my actions. Then he smiled and said, “Have certainty!” When he saw my wonder, he
continued, "Have certainty that no biting animal will hurt a believing servant of God."

54
 Jamal
My brother Jamal was one of Ahmad Agha’s close friends. Ahmad Agha's behavior had a big
impression on him. They always attended the lessons of the Ustad Haghshenas together.
Jamal’s morals and behavior were very similar to Ahmad Agha’s. At that time, our home life was
completely different from theirs. While Jamal was in elementary school, he worked at a shop.

Our father was a simple worker with several heads of families. Whatever Jamal earned, he
collected and gave to our father or mother for the household expenses. Although the
conditions of our house were nothing to brag about from a financial standpoint, I would see
Jamal worrying about other people’s problems often and trying to solve them. Other
characteristics of him included his heartfelt devotion and incredible love for his masters, Qamar
Bani Hashem (Abbas Ibn Ali) and the Imam of the Age (Aj).

With the start of the [imposed Iraq-Iran] war, Jamal left for the frontlines. In 1983, he took time
off after a long time and said goodbye to all his friends. I don’t know why, but Jamal and some
of his friends would always say that they wish to remain anonymous! During Operation Wal-Fajr
4 in the western highlands of the country, their wish was fulfilled. For some time, we did not
receive any news from them.

My mother, who loved Jamal very much, was more impatient than all of us. That was until good
news arrived one day! One of Jamal’s friends had come to the neighborhood. He said to us, "I
am certain that Jamal is alive, has been injured, and will return soon!"

I became so happy that I did not know how to react. I ran to the mosque. Ahmad Agha was my
companion in moments of happiness and sadness. During that time, I was with him day and
night.

55
I entered the Basij office with joy. Ahmad Agha was busy making a placard with the inscription,
"The sanguinary ascension of Martyr Jamal Mohammad Shahi…" when I said, "Don't write,
Ahmad Agha!"

“Good news!” I could not even form the words fully due to my excitement. "Ahmad Agha, one
of Jamal's friends has shown up saying that Jamal is alive. He personally saw that Jamal was
injured and taken to the hospital.” I stared into Ahmad Agha's eyes. He wasn’t happy at all. He
turned his head down and got back to writing. I said, “Ahmad Agha, stop writing, did you not
hear me? Jamal is alive. If my mother sees this placard, she will become disheartened.”

He looked up and said, “I saw your Jamal. He was in heaven. Two months ago during that very
operation, he was martyred.” I felt like cold water was poured on me. All sorts of sorrows came
over me. I trusted Ahmad Agha’s words. I looked at him slightly distressed. All the memories of
my brother Jamal flashed before my eyes. I swallowed and asked, "Did my brother say anything
else?"

He looked up again and replied, “Yes. He asked me to pray two months of qadha (missed)
prayers for him, and it has been a while since I’ve started.” After that, we became certain that
Jamal had been martyred. Then, the news of his injury also turned out to be a mistake. Jamal's
memorial service was held in the mosque. Ahmad Agha gathered all the boys and participated
in the ceremony. He also sat in the mosque very politely.

Much later when I asked him, he told me, “Our master, the Imam of the Age (Aj) was present at
Shaheed Jamal’s memorial service. It was for this reason that I insisted on all the boys showing
up.”

Jamal joined the circle of anonymous martyrs and his body was never returned. Later, a friend
of Jamal who resided in Qom called and said, “I saw Jamal in my dream and he told me, 'We
have returned with the anonymous martyrs and are present near the Jamkaran Mosque, on top
of Khizr Mountain!'”

After a long time, I heard from the words of Ahmad Agha that Ayatullah Haghshenas had said
about the importance of prayer, "My dear brother, the importance of prayer is such that even
that martyr comes and tells his friend to perform two months of prayers for him. Even a martyr
does not want the burden of haqq Allah (the right of God) on his shoulders.”

56
 Missing
A Friend of the Martyr and Ustad Muhammad Shahi

We were in the Basiji base of the mosque. After finishing and reviewing my work, I wanted to
return home. As usual, I said goodbye to the guys, but when I wanted to go, Ahmad Agha came
and said, "Would you like me to take you with my motorbike?" I replied, “No, my house is near.
I will walk there through Molavi Bazaar myself.”

He looked at me again and said, “What if a dog follows and bothers you?” I replied, “No way,
what dog? I walk this way every night.” He repeated, "Let me take you." But I did not allow it
and said, "Thank you for your kindness." Then I left the mosque.

I passed the alley of the mosque and entered Molavi Bazaar. Suddenly, I saw seven or eight big,
black dogs standing in front of me in the middle of the market! “What should I do? Where did
they come from? Should I go back?!”

In short, I called the guys of the mosque. Only then did I remember the words of Ahmad Agha.
“Does this mean he knew those dogs would block my way?”

‫٭٭٭‬
He had several sons. One of them went to the war front. Sometime later, his son went missing
during an operation. Many said that his son was martyred during the operation.

Some even said that we have seen the body of this martyr. Everyone from the neighborhood
knew him as the father of a martyr.

57
This father was a very hardworking man, but he was not in the habit of attending the mosque
or congregational prayers. He had another characteristic and that was his special admiration
towards Ahmad Agha. Recently, when Ahmad Agha had become very mystical, talk of the same
man’s son came up.

Quickly and firmly, Ahmad Agha said, "His son has not been martyred, and is currently a captive
in the prisons of Iraq." He continued, "A day will come when his son will return."

I became really happy. I went to that father and told him, "Do you have confidence in Ahmad
Agha?" He said, "Yes, the best and purest youth in this neighborhood is Ahmad Agha." I
delightedly said, “Ahmad says your son is alive. He is currently a captive in the Iraqi prisons and
will return.”

He became very happy and asked, "Did you hear this from Ahmad Agha directly?" I replied,
"Yes, he was talking about your son in the mosque just a moment ago." He walked with me and
came to the mosque. Then he sat next to Ahmad Agha and started speaking to him. For this
simple-hearted old man, just hearing from Ahmad Agha was enough for him. He did not go
searching for evidence and documents. He shed tears and thanked God. After that
conversation, their families wrote to the Red Cross many times but they did not receive any
news.

Some considered this father as simple-minded for trusting the words of a young man and saying
that his son is alive. But this father had complete trust in Ahmad Agha’s words. Although, he
had a dream during that time that confirmed Ahmad Agha’s words as well.

From that day on, this father never missed a congregational prayer. He always came to the
mosque and had found greater respect and appreciation for the guys of the mosque, especially
Ahmad Agha. The truthfulness of Ahmad Agha’s words was revealed five years later. In August
of 1990, the prisoners of war were exchanged between Iran and Iraq.

Then it was announced that several missing Iranians who had been in Saddam Hussein's secret
camps had been released.

Amindoleh mosque and the surrounding neighborhood were illuminated with lights. The freed
prisoner of war Abolfazl Mirzaei, who no one was certain was alive until the moment of his
release, returned to his nation. But Ahmad Agha was no longer with us that day.

58
 Mystical
One time I asked Ahmad Agha, “How are you aware of such matters? The issue of Jamal’s
martyrdom, and Abolfazl being alive, and other things which I have witnessed from you.”

As usual, Ahmad Agha spoke about self-vigilance and self-monitoring. He said, “Try not to sin to
the best of your ability. Be careful of your actions as much as you can. When you have done so,
you will see the world at your service.”

Then he looked at me and continued, “You have to [spiritually] elevate to witness certain
things! You have to reach a higher status so that I can tell you some things!”

Then he said something that is difficult for me to comprehend till this day. He said, “God has
shown me the lives of individuals! God has shown me the blessings that reach individuals!

“I see some of the people that come to Hajj Agha Haghshenas’s classes on Friday nights. They
are very grand individuals, able to clearly see the interior of others. So be careful with your
actions.”

‫٭٭٭‬
Most of what we heard from Ahmad Agha concerned self-improvement. Once we were sitting
together with a number of the guys. Ahmad Agha said, "Guys, let's be a little concerned about
our actions."

59
Then he stated, “Everyone, someone from amongst us will become a martyr. Let us engage in
self-improvement so martyrdom can be granted to us as well.” He continued, “Guys, at least try
to be free from sins for three days. If for three days you take care of your actions and monitor
them, [divine] favors will surely reach you.”

The guys asked Ahmad Agha, "What can we do to get closer to God?" Ahmad Agha replied,
“Refrain from sin for forty days. Rest assured that your ears and eyes will open.” This is a
reference to the famous hadith which states, "Whoever commits his actions sincerely for God
for forty days, God will spur springs of wisdom in his tongue."

‫٭٭٭‬
For certain reasons, Ahmad Agha showed me more kindness. Our family was very big and we
had a small house. My brother had also been martyred. For this reason, he paid special
attention to my training. He always passed on some talking points to others through me.

I remember he once told me, “Tell our mosque friends not to lie. When a word of a lie exits
someone's mouth, a nasty smell fills the air such that I cannot tolerate it.”

60
 Mystical Deeds
The Martyr’s Friends

Ayatullah Jawadi Amoli (May God Protect him) in his book of irfani (mystical) action, pages 39
and onwards, says, “Worship, when accompanied by contemplation that helps the soul realize
the truth, places man entirely on the path of truth and leads to his salvation.

“During worship, the body becomes wholly subject to the soul, and if the human soul in this
state realizes the truth through contemplation, he will be placed entirely on the path of truth.

“Otherwise, man will achieve nothing but wickedness. As stated in a narration in Al-Kafi (vol. 1,
p. 36), ‘Be aware of the worship that is void of contemplation, because there is no good in it.’

“The mystic does everything on the orders of "Huwa al-Awal" and to meet "Huwa al-AKhar",
and evidently sees the truth in all of its manifestations."

‫٭٭٭‬
We left for Qom with a couple of friends. After ziyarat (pilgrimage), we went to a friend’s house
with Ahmad Agha and others and stayed the night. It was around midnight when Ahmad Agha
woke up. I woke up too, but I didn’t get out of bed!

Ahmad Agha wanted to perform ablution for prayer, but felt like doing so would bother the
landlord. So he picked up the Quran instead, sat in a corner and started reading it.

61
He stayed awake at dawn but did not perform the night prayer like he always did! And I was
watching this behavior of his. Then the azan (call to prayer) was given and our friends woke up,
we performed ablution and prayed.

The next day I spoke with him. Somehow talk of Ahmad Agha, dawn, and reciting the Quran
came up. He said to me, "Due to my consideration of the landlord, I could not perform ablution
and pray the night prayer, but God granted me a great reward and profound effects through my
recitation of the Quran that dawn."

Ahmad Agha’s behavior along with this incident was very strange to me. During that dawn, he
recited the Quran without ablution and spoke of the favor that God had bestowed him! He did
not want to cause the landlord any annoyance for the sake of God, and God compensated him
like this.

Ahmad Agha was an example of the words of his teacher, Hazrat Ayatullah Hajj Agha Mojtaba
Tehrani, who had said, "If I see that the recommended actions harm my obligatory actions (or
lead me to sin), I will forsake them."

I had heard Ahmad Agha state many times, "If I feel that the night prayer causes me to take a
nap in the morning when I go to work or attend to my studies, I will definitely forsake it."

Ahmad Agha believed that if an important mustahab (recommended) act, such as the night
prayer, prevents or disturbs the work that is obligatory upon him, the night prayer must be put
aside.

Of course, he usually went to bed early so that he did not have any problems or fatigue for the
night prayer or his daily work. Only those nights when he was in the Basij and stationed did
things become difficult for him.

‫٭٭٭‬
We performed the morning prayer in the Amindoleh Mosque. I saw that Ahmad Agha went to
the Basij base after the prayer and began to rest. I have heard from him many times that
sleeping between fajr time and sunrise is makrooh (unrecommended). So why did Ahmad
Agha...

After the Maghrib prayer, I asked him about this very issue. He said, "I had little sleep last night
because of the Basij programs. I was afraid that due to fatigue and weariness, I would slip [in
my behavior] and act roughly with others during the day. That's why I rested.”

Ahmad Agha's mystical actions and deeds were a lesson for all students and friends. Everyone
benefited from the fruits of his qualities according to their own capacities. He would never turn
to sin. Once, writing a letter, he said, "For a believer, the weight of sin is perceived as the
weight of Mount Uhud."

62
He always advised against underestimating sin and being wary of doing good deeds. In a letter
to one of his friends in the frontlines, he wrote, "’Imam Sadiq (A) said, Satan instructs his
followers to create three states in the human being so that he may be relieved: belittle sinful
deeds for them, make good deeds seemingly hard and ambiguous so that they do not perform
them, and create arrogance and selfishness in them.’

“My honorable brothers, God forbid that we become polluted in these three traps of the devil
in which we are already immersed. If a true believer commits a sin, he feels its weight on his
shoulders like that of Mount Uhud. But if a hypocrite commits a sin, he acts like the one who
fans a fly from his face.”

63
 Visiting a Friend
A Number of the Martyr’s Friends

Our grand scholars believe that the path to meet the master, authority, and Imam of the Age
(Aj) is open. Some of them have even explained methods for meeting and communicating with
the Imam to their followers. But these same scholars state, “If someone claims to have met the
luminous being of Imam Zaman and uses it as a means to gain fame and such, then reject
them.”

In this period, there are many false claims of meetings with his eminence and many have fallen
for them. But it must be said that a human being that has reached the peak of servitude of God,
a youth who is not indifferent to sin and transgression, and one who has forsaken the pleasures
of the world for the sake of God, will traverse every stage of perfection one after another.

One who does not abandon Dua Ahad after congregational prayers every morning, and every
Friday, with great difficulty, reads Dua Nadbah. One who puts a lot of effort into celebrating
Mid-Shaban, and always speaks to the youth about their master and Imam (Aj)..

Such a person's account is different from the rest. If he told us about the inner reality of the
world and the truth of our deeds, he would follow it immediately with, “I say this so that you
also elevate [to higher spiritual stations]. Not to rejoice in this world of darkness and deprive
yourself of the great blessing of the universe.” Ahmad Agha in his youth and adolescence had
reached a point where he knew the ways of heaven better than the ways of the earth.

Once we really pressed him, "Ahmad Agha, have you seen the Imam of the Age (Aj)?" As
always, he shrewdly avoided this question. He replied to us with superficial answers that we
should all obey the orders of the Lord and observing the Imam is not a sign of perfection. On
the other hand, maybe we were too young to hear such things.

64
 ‫٭٭٭‬
One time we went to Qom and Jamkaran for ziyarat with Ahmad Agha and the guys of
Amindoleh Mosque. After completing our prayers in Jamkaran Mosque, we returned to the bus.
Ahmad Agha came back very casually like us. The driver said to us, “If you would like to buy
Sohan (a kind of souvenir) or go somewhere, you have an hour.”

And so we all started walking towards the shops when I suddenly saw Ahmad Agha start moving
towards the desert from the back of the mosque! I called one of my friends. I inquired, "Where
do you think Ahmad Agha is going?!" We started pursuing him slowly.

Back then things weren’t like they are now‒the yards were dark and small. Ahmad went
somewhere where his surroundings were getting very dark, and we went after him. We didn’t
make a single sound. Suddenly, Ahmad Agha turned and said, "Why are you following me!?"

We were taken back. I said, “Do you see behind your back? How did you notice us?” Ahmad
Agha said, “You did not do a good thing. Go back.” We replied, “No, we can’t. We are your
friends; we will come wherever you go. Secondly, it is dangerous here, maybe someone, an
animal or something will attack you.”

He said, “Please go back,” and we likewise replied, “No, we will not return until you say where
you are going!” He insisted again and we gave the same answer. He lowered his head. I said to
myself, "He must be praying for us in his heart!" Then he looked at us in that darkness and said,
“Can you handle it? Can you come with me!?” We, who were oblivious to Ahmad Agha’s
circumstances, said, “Tolerate what? Where do you want to go?!”

He took a breath, then said, “I am going for a greeting with Mowla (Imam Zaman).” Believe me,
the moment he said those words, my knees gave out. We were scared. My body shivered.
Ahmad said this then turned around and continued on his way. As he was walking away from
us, he said, “If you wish him to come, Bismillah.”

You don’t know what it was like. Maybe now I tell myself that I should have gone, but in that
moment, fear had overtaken us. We went back frightened and trembling. An hour later, we saw
Ahmad Agha approaching the bus from a distance. His face was beaming. He did not speak to
anyone and sat down in his seat. From that day on I tried to be more careful about my actions.
Something similar happened again in the shrine of Hazrat Abdul Azim.

‫٭٭٭‬
One of our regular and weekly programs was the pilgrimage to the graves of the martyrs in
Behesht-e-Zahra (S). We went with Ahmad Agha and benefited a great deal. I remember one

65
week the number of guys was low. He spoke to us about the devotion of the martyrs to the
infallibles and the status of martyrdom and so on.

In between Ahmad Agha's words, we reached the grave of a martyr whom I did not know. We
sat there. We recited a Fatiha. But for Ahmad Agha, it was like he had found his brother's grave;
he was in a very strange state! On the way back, I asked softly, "Ahmad Agha, did you know
that martyr?" He replied, “No.” I asked, "So why did we come to his grave?" But he did not
answer. I realized that something must have been up.

I kept insisting. When he saw my persistence, he said to me softly, "It smelled like Imam Zaman
(Aj) there. Our master had come to the grave of this martyr before.” Of course, he said to me
several times, "If I say these things, it is only to increase your certainty and for you to find
assurance in some matters, but do not share this anywhere as long as I live.”

In his last year, Ahmad Agha noted down such stories in his notebook himself.

66
 Muharram
Ustad Muhammad Shahi

On the first night of Muharram, the whole of Amindoleh Mosque was covered in black. All
mosques were mourning. This good practice has been with us Iranians since the past. There are
even narrations that Imam Reza (S) covered his house in black on the first of Muharram.

He always advised, “If you want to cry over something, cry over Hussein (S).” Ahmad Agha was
foremost in this. Even if others wanted to do it, he would find his way to them and put up black
covers with all his energy.

I remember one year that Ahmad Agha could not come to the mosque for the first of
Muharram. The guys of Basij and the mosque got busy and covered the whole nave in black. It
was noon when Ahmad Agha came to the mosque. The guys were gathered together. Ahmad
Agha instantly took a look at the door and the walls and came forward. Then he said, "Guys,
good job."

But he had a lump in his throat. He continued, “You have done something honorable. Guys,
Imam Hussein (S) himself thanks you.” Some of them easily overlooked this statement, but I,
who was aware of his [spiritual] status, thought deeply about it. Ahmad Agha considered
tawassul to the Ahlul Bayt, the ark of salvation of Agha Aba Abdillah (S) in particular, to be the
best means of gaining nearness to God and erasing sins. That is why he ordered me to recite
eulogies for the guys. Every time we went on pilgrimage to the shrine of Hazrat Abdolazim
Hassani (A), he would tell me to sit there in front of the shrine and recite for everyone.

In Ahmad Agha's writings, this important matter has been highly emphasized. He even advised
turning to the martyr of Karbala to eliminate the darkness of one’s heart and soul. In one of the
texts left behind in Ahmad Agha's diary about Imam Hussein (S), it is mentioned, "On the day of

67
Arbaeen, when I went to the mourning ceremony, I saw darkness in myself. I witnessed a cage
spurring around me and imprisoning me! But when the mourning rituals began, I saw the cage
get destroyed.”

This is one of the miracles of the gathering of Sayyed Al-Shohada (Master of the Martyrs). Many
times I’ve heard him say, “There is a light in the mourning ceremonies of Sayyed Shohada (A),
the source of which is the Holy Shrine of Agha. In these gatherings, it is as if the Imam himself
stands by the door and receives his guests.”

Among the other infallibles to whom Ahmad Agha resorted often, was the blessed being of
Sedigheh Kobra Hazrat Zahra (S). Her blessed name was always on the tongue of Ahmad Agha.

It is an astonishing matter for me! Many pious martyrs and seekers of God who left this world
with martyrdom had a heartfelt devotion to the Umm Al-Aimmah (The mother of the Imams).
Ahmad Agha says in one of his memoirs, “Thank God, I have a high status with Umm Al-Aimmah
Hazrat Zahra (S).”

68
 IRGC
The Family and Friends of the Martyr

It was the end of the year 1982. Ahmad was busy pursuing his mathematics education at Marvi
School. One day they called from school and said, "Ahmad has not come to school for many
days." That night, when he came home after prayer, he was confronted with many questions,
“Ahmad, why aren’t you going to school? Ahmad, where have you been these past few days?”

And he, likewise, answered very quickly and decisively, “I am after knowledge, however, school
can no longer fulfill my need. Thus far school has been good for me but now there is nothing
there for me! For several days now I have been going to the sessions and classes of Hajj Agha
Haghshenas with the seminary students.”

Thus Ahmad left his formal education in high school and joined the students of Imam Sadiq's (A)
school in pursuit of religious sciences. While studying mathematics in high school, Ahmad Agha
also studied seminary books in addition to his studies, but now he fully committed his time for
this purpose.

He was not a traditional seminary student in the sense that he read all the standard seminary
books. Rather, he was a student under his great teacher. For this reason, Ayatullah Haghshenas
and other great personalities of Amindoleh Seminary introduced him to a variety of books to
read.

He had a unique course of study. Besides this, I had seen him reading scientific books many
times. We never saw him unoccupied. He had a plan for his time. He rested for a certain
amount of time, after that, studied and worked in the mosque, taking care of cultural duties
and becoming a basij, and so on.

69
Several times at the age of sixteen he decided to join the frontlines of battle, but because one
of his brothers was martyred, amongst other reasons, he was not accepted. That was until he
made his decision in 1983. To help the goals of the revolution and at least have done
something, he joined the Revolutionary Guards. Ahmad Agha was immediately recruited by a
political unit affiliated with the representative office of the Wali Faqih in the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

I remember him saying, "We are in a group that is under the supervision of Ayatullah
Mahallati," and he also spoke highly of him. Ahmad Agha started working in the office of Agha
Mohammadi Araqi.

‫٭٭٭‬
I heard that he was working in the political unit of the IRGC. I had his work phone number. I
called and started messing with Ahmad Agha. When he realized it was me, he laughed and said,
“My time here is at the disposal of the IRGC. If you need something, we can talk [about it]
tonight at the mosque.” At night I went to Ahmad Agha in the mosque. I knew that the forces of
the political unit had important intelligence.

I said, "Ahmad Agha, tell me some exclusive news!" He looked at me and, in order to not upset
me, mentioned some important information that everyone had heard from the news that same
day. Ahmad Agha spent two years in IRGC's political unit. During this time, he was not
permitted to go to the frontlines until he was able to get the consent of the officials for it and
left as a Basij.

70
 Motorbike
A Trail 250 motorcycle was given to Ahmad Agha by the Revolutionary Guards. He received a
letter from the IRGC introducing him to a driving instructor and resolving the license issue. He
had obtained complete responsibility for the motorcycle from the IRGC officials, meaning he
was allowed to use it for various personal and mosque-related work and issues, and cover all
the expenses of the motorbike himself.

The motorcycle was very big, such that whenever he stopped, Ahmad Agha's foot barely
reached the ground. One day I went to him and said, "We need your motorbike for two hours
at the mosque." He handed us the motorbike at two in the afternoon and we got busy
immediately!

It was very fun. Our two hours dragged on till the evening of the next day! With much regret
and shame, I went to Ahmad Agha’s home. His brother opened the door. I asked, “Can you call
Ahmad Agha? I want to deliver his motorbike.” His brother went and came back, "You can hand
it to me." When Ahmad Agha came to the mosque that night I was very embarrassed. But he
spoke to us very casually.

He did not say anything about the motorbike at all. We later found out that he was very upset
about our irresponsibility. That's why he did not come to the door to receive it himself, so his
anger and disappointment could die down.

‫٭٭٭‬
Ahmad Agha’s motorbike was under the complete use of the affairs of the mosque. From
obtaining lentils for the Dua Nudba [program] of the mosque to other things. One day, we went

71
with Ahmad Agha after one of such affairs. We had to head back quickly, so he increased the
engine speed slightly. Well, the street was empty as well, and if the Trail 250 engine accelerates
even a little, it becomes difficult to control.

We were speeding across the street. Suddenly the car to our left turned to the right without us
noticing! To our right was also another car. Our path to cross was completely blocked. For a
moment I said, “It's over. We will crash now.” I closed my eyes fearfully, anticipating the
accident.

I opened my eyes moments later and saw that Ahmad Agha was still going! I didn't even
consider a one percent chance for us to get out of that scenario in one piece.

With a pale and trembling body, I asked, “What happened? We are alive?!” Ahmad Agha said,
"Thank God."

Later, when I spoke about that moment, he said to me, “God helped us cross. We should have
had an accident there. But it was God alone who saved us. I lost control of the bike at that last
moment and just said, ‘God.’ Then I saw that we had easily passed between those two cars!”

72
 The Summer of 1985
Ustad Muhammadi Shahi and the Martyr’s Brother

He had been threatened. They said that they will assassinate him. They even called Ahmad
Agha's workplace and said, "We will kill you!"

He came to the mosque and spoke for the guys. It was near the beginning of summer 1985. At
that time, Ahmad Agha was at the peak of spirituality. After the lecture, he decided to tell me
and one of the guys about God’s decree, “It appears that God has ordained for my martyrdom.
[It will be in] one of these next few days.” We were very surprised. At that time, we were
fourteen years old. “What does that mean Ahmad Agha? You are not even on the frontlines!”

He said, "Yes, but I will be martyred in Tehran at the hands of the Munafiqeen (the hypocrites).”
We fully trusted the words of Ahmad Agha. For this reason, we were very upset. We waited for
bad news every day. When our eyes fell on Ahmad Agha in the mosque at night, we would
breathe a sigh of relief and utter, "Thank God."

Then one night after prayer, when he saw the distress on my face, he said to me, “Do not be
upset, divine destiny has changed. I am not going to be martyred for now. I will be with you all a
few more months.” You do not know how happy this news made me. Later, I heard from
Ahmad Agha's brother that this matter was very serious and that is why Ahmad Agha was ready
and armed in the neighborhood for several days.

Amindoleh Mosque was strange during the Ramadan and summer of 1985. The sound of the
munajat (whispered prayers) of the late Seyyed Ali Mirhadi, the self-development speeches of
Hajj Agha Haghshenas, living next to Ahmad Agha, and so on all created conditions that became
one of the most memorable periods of my life. I am ready to give whatever God wants to
experience that luminous period again.

73
We would come to the mosque after breakfast and recite the Quran with Ahmad Agha after
prayers. He and I were alone then. Much of his advice was given in those luminous mornings. In
the summer and early fall of 1985, Ahmad Agha's spiritual state had changed a lot. His prayers
had become more unusual than before. His face was wet with tears during the congregational
prayers. His body shook vigorously.

He was like a bird that was no longer able to stay in the cage of this world. I said to myself,
"How does Ahmad Agha wish to live after this?" In that time, whenever I spoke about miracles
or observing the deeds of people, he would answer less and say, “For someone who wants to
move towards God, these issues are like pebbles on the path.” Or he gave examples of God
granting certain seekers of the spiritual path and pious individuals blessings such as Barzakhi
eyes or Tay Al Arz (folding up of the earth or covering long distances in the twinkling of an eye),
but they begged God to take those things away from them! Because these things are not signs
of human perfection!

Ahmad Agha would say, "Our grand scholars are [more] interested in living a normal life like
other people." I remember he used to say, "This Tay Al Arz that some people wish for is one of
the first things that a believer can do, but the spiritual wayfarers do not even ask God for this!"

I remember Ahmad Agha had started wearing glasses. I said, "Well, you should read the Quran
more. They say whoever reads the Quran, the problems and pain of his eyes will disappear.” He
smiled and said, "I know that if I read the Qur'an with the intention of healing my own eyes, the
weakness of my eyes will certainly disappear."

Then he continued, "I do not want to read the Quran with this intention; I want my life to
proceed as normal!" That luminous period passed very quickly. With the arrival of autumn,
schools opened and my beautiful summer came to an end. But I did not know that this was my
last chance to be with Ahmad Agha.

74
 Characteristics
The Martyr’s Friends

We have in our Islamic teachings that the paths to God are as many as the number of people on
earth. And man, according to his special attributes and talents which are unique to himself, can
walk the path to God with more speed and accuracy. These unique traits are referred to as the
"character keys." With the blossoming of these attributes and discovering the keys to good
character, the lock of human life is opened and man flies to its God.

After the passing of three decades from Ahmad Agha’s life, his character keys can also be
analyzed. Many friends, after hearing memories of Ahmad Agha, become interested in hearing
about the unique personality traits of this sincere servant of God. To them we must say: Firstly,
Ahmad Agha was a very nondescript man, meaning he did not talk about his inner [spiritual]
states. He, who had reached the highest levels of mysticism and gnosis, behaved like the
simplest of people so that no one would know about his interior.

The secret of the matter is in this. A human who has the passion of God hides all his inner states
and understandings, but God places his love and greatness in the hearts [of others].

Many did not witness anything special from Ahmad Agha. It was simply the prayer, good ethics,
humility and so on that they loved. He had conquered hearts. He had taught others that one
could be in the normal course of life, live like others, be among people, but [simultaneously] be
with God. Ahmad Agha recorded some of his personal reflections on paper to act as a reminder
and shared them with some of his close friends so that maybe they too would take a step in
that direction.

Sometimes, when he mentioned some divine blessings [given to him] to his special friends, he
immediately emphasized, “Do not share this with anyone as long as I am alive!” As in, it’s clear

75
that Ahmad Agha wanted nothing more from his statements than the growth of others. He did
not want the journey to God to seem impossible for his friends.

And for others to feel despair over the hardships of the path and the times. And know that the
way to reach the Beloved is always open. Another characteristic of him was his diligence and
perseverance in the path of God. He accepted the call of tawheed (monotheism) once and
persevered on that path for the rest of his life.
In verse 13 of Surah Al-Ahqaf, God says,
"Surely those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then remain steadfast — there will be no fear for
them, nor will they grieve."

Ahmad Agha's faith was not temporary. When he made a decision, he put in the effort to get
the job done like a man. Examples of this are visible in the guys’ Friday prayers, Dua Nudba
programs, and others.

He would carry out the work of the mosque with indescribable diligence, exerting effort
sincerely for God. His other qualities include his way of knowledge and research. Ahmad Agha
would begin his studies in a very organized fashion and never neglect them. He told a friend, “I
set aside at least one hour a day for serious study.”

Ahmad Agha considered understanding one's audience as the criteria for assessing his work in
the mosque. When he was with younger people, he acted like them. When confronting very
trouble-making and naughty individuals, he was very patient and so on.

‫٭٭٭‬
His most obvious attributes were politeness, kindness, and humility. No one had seen
discourtesy from Ahmad Agha. His respect, humility, and kindness were well known amongst
the guys of the mosque. He called them very politely. No one would be belittled in his presence.

He could never act aggressively with anyone, especially teenagers. His greatest attraction was
his politeness and kindness. He stood up in front of all newcomers and showed them respect.
To encourage the guys, he gave them gifts, most of which were books.

We never saw him forcing anyone on religious and spiritual matters, rather he spoke so lovingly
of the beauties of religious practices that everyone acted by those words. If a funny matter was
brought up, he would laugh like everyone else, but when faced with transgression and sin, he
reacted. Everyone knew that if they backbit about someone in the presence of Ahmad Agha, he
would confront them.

In addition to these points, one must also add respect towards the Quran and the Ahlul Bayt.
Ahmad Agha was very committed to tawasul (seeking intermission). Regarding the Quran, he

76
did not forget to read the Quran with attentiveness every day. He also recommended the
Quran a lot in his will. When these qualities are put together, they display the beautiful and
pure face of Ahmad Agha; a young man who was obedient to Hazrat Haqq (God) and lived in
simplicity alongside us.

77
 Deployment
Dr. Mohsen Noori

The corps of soldiers moved by a swamp in the direction of a field. It was night and the sky was
very dark. It was in front of Ahmad Agha's unit. As I was looking at them, a mortar shell
exploded next to the corps! The mortar shells explosion only hit one person. Ahmad Agha's
heart was targeted! He then turned to the right and uttered words that I could not understand.

At that moment, Ahmad Agha was martyred in front of my eyes. Then I suddenly woke up in a
daze. My body trembled for a few minutes. The next day I saw Ahmad Agha in the mosque. I
explained my dream to him, he smiled and said, "I will let you know whether the dream was
real or not!"

It was the fall of 1985. The change in Ahmad Agha's behavior and actions was more noticeable.
His prayers had all become a point of ascension. I remember once after prayer I asked him,
“Why do you tremble so much in prayer!? Do you want to go to the doctor?” He replied, "No, it
is nothing."

But I knew why he was like this. We read in the narrations that our Imams trembled like this
during prayer and when in the presence of the greatness of Hazrat Haqq. This condition is
natural for someone who realizes that his insignificant existence has been given permission to
speak to the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It is us who do not have the necessary
marifah (recognition) in prayer and worship. In short, our normal routine continued until one
night he came to the mosque and gathered us all after the prayer.

Afterward, he said his goodbyes to the guys, "Insha' Allah, I will be heading for the frontlines
tomorrow." Ahmad Agha asked us for forgiveness and bid farewell to the people of the
mosque. Then he told a few of us who were with him more than the others, “This is my last

78
meeting with you all. I will not return from the frontlines!” Finally, he looked at me and said,
“Your dream was the exact truth.”

I do not know why, but those guys and I were very casual about it. We thought he would
certainly come back and visit during his leave. We thought that even if Ahmad Agha left,
someone else like him would come along. I don’t know why we did not express a reaction. We
said our goodbyes to him very easily and asked for forgiveness. The next day, Ahmad Agha
settled his account with the IRGC and took off for the frontlines as a Basiji. He handed over all
the duties of the mosque as well. He had nothing left to do in Tehran anymore.

We learned from Ahmad Agha's letters alone that he was a soldier of the Salman Battalion from
the 27th Division of the Prophet (S).

79
 Salman Battalion
Ali Mirkiani (Battalion Commander) and
One of the Battalion Fighters

In the fall of 1985, we left for the Mehran region for defensive purposes with the battalion
forces. Our battalion was sent to this city to maintain the security of the Mehran region. Our
talent battalion included 450 members of the Basij and IRGC forces. While in the area, we were
busy training the forces in combat skills to participate in future operations.

Our presence in the western region did not last long. After some time, we went to Dokuheh.
The three-month period of our battalion’s presence was over. All our forces were supposed to
settle their accounts and leave. Therefore, considering the beginning of Operation Wal-Fajr 8 in
the Faw area, I spoke to all the soldiers.

I said, “You can go. All your accounts have been settled. But the army needs manpower for the
next operation. Anyone can stay.” Some of the guys left for personal reasons and problems, but
most of the forces, including Ahmad Ali Nayyeri, remained in the battalion. Although, I did not
know him at all nor do I know him now!

We left for the combat region of Faw region. Work in this region was very difficult. With the
help of Western and Eastern experts, Iraq had created the most severe obstacles for our
soldiers. Crossing the Arvand under those conditions and complexities and crossing dozens of
different obstacles on the shores of the enemy was impossible without the reliance on God and
the power of faith.

Many of the world's war experts are still amazed at how our soldiers crossed the Arvand and
reached the Iraqi bases. We were in one of the stages of the operation. The main battle of our
fighters with the Iraqi Presidential Guard Division continued fiercely next to the salt factory. Our

80
battalion was given an important mission. We had to go to the Khor Abdollah area on the night
of the 27th Bahman, a week after the start of the operation.

We took advantage of the darkness of the night and transferred a group of troops from the side
of the swamp and the Khor Abdollah road to the important bridge of the area. It was along the
way that several mortar shells landed next to our column. We acquired some martyrs and
wounded. In whatever way we could, we got to Khor Abdullah and initiated the attack. Of
course, the other guys, especially those who were in the same group as brother Nayyeri, have
more information about him.

81
 A Complete Human
One of the Martyr’s Friends

I was nineteen years old when I went to the frontlines. I was looking for an acquaintance in
Dokuheh. After prayer, I came out of the Hajj Hemmat Hosseiniyah. The face of a young man
was familiar to me. I went forward and greeted him. "I think I have seen you in the ethical
classes of Hajj Agha Haghshenas." He greeted me warmly and said, “Yes, I am at your service.”
This was the beginning of my acquaintance with someone who changed the path of life for
many people like me. Ahmad Agha became friends with me from that day on and tried his best
to guide me.

During prayer time, I realized that he had very special [spiritual] states. I wanted to be next to
him to benefit more from his spirituality. He would speak to me after prayers. He had good
advice. He had a strange craving to lead people to God, but he never liked to play any “my
disciple, my disciple” kind of game.

He told me about the first days that he had set foot on the path of spiritual wayfaring: How he
became acquainted with spirituality and never abandoned the night prayers as a teenager! He
spoke of acting on the commandments of the religion, that by relying on God (tawakul) and
seeking intercession from the infallibles (tawasul), one can reach high levels of spirituality. He
once said to me, “If someone is careful and does not sin for three days, God will show him the
first sources of contact with Imam al-Asr (Aj), and if this abandonment of sin reaches seven
days, he will see better things in his dreams until they also actualize for him in the reality.”

To express the importance of self-development, he mentioned certain things that were strange
to me. He used to say, “There are people who, after a period of self-development, ascend in
their prayers. They take their souls out of the body and journey through the metaphysical world
during prayer. They even see their body from above! ” He mentioned these things and I was

82
sure that it had happened to him. I once asked Ahmad Agha, “Have you seen Imam Asr (Aj),
what does he look like?” This was the only question that he did not answer correctly and
instead changed the topic!

But the important point during all this time that I was friends with Ahmad Agha was that he was
a comprehensive and perfect human being. There was no negative point in his behavior and
morals. When with others, he never took up the image of a mystic. He was present in
gatherings [of friends]. He socialized with others. In social matters, he was like the most
ordinary of people. He was a rational person. His actions were based on contemplation and
wisdom.
These qualities made him more of a role model in the eyes of his friends. Our battalion went to
Karkheh and Ahmad Agha stayed in Dokuheh. He wrote to me regularly and used this
opportunity to guide me. I remember he strongly emphasized that you should attend the
gatherings for the Ahlul Bayt so that your inner light can increase, since presence in these
meetings has an important effect on the spiritual growth of human beings.

The last time I saw him was next to the Hajj Hemmat Hosseinieh in Dokuheh. He took my hand
and pointed to himself and said happily, "Soon, the bird will be released from the cage. I will
leave this world with martyrdom shortly." He would speak and I would cry.

I heard about his martyrdom a few days later, after Operation Wal-Fajr 8. I remember when I
went to Hajj Agha Haghshenas' sessions, he said on the pulpit, “May I be sacrificed for that
youth whose prayer was an ascension. In the qunut of the prayer, he went to the kingdom of
the heavens. He saw Resurrection Day and the accounting of deeds. He was busy with the real
prayer while everyone else prayed the exterior prayer [only].” Hajj Agha did not mention
anyone by name, but everyone knew he was talking about Ahmad Agha.

83
 Dokuheh
Rahim Ithna Ashari

It was the spring of 1985. We were deployed to the area with some friends. When we entered
the Dukoheh base, they divided us and sent us to the Salman Farsi Battalion. This battalion was
not permanent. Rather, when there were many forces deployed, it formed, and when there
were smaller numbers, the battalion disbanded. The commander of our battalion was Mirkiani's
brother and his deputy was Martyr Mozaffari. I went with thirty other people to the second
division of the third platoon of this battalion. The commander of our battalion was Martyr
Tabatabai. A couple of very good youth from North Tehran in the likes of the Brothers Mirzai
and Talai were with us.

We had a good gathering. We all settled in two rooms on the first floor of the Salman Battalion
building in Dokuheh. In the very first days, I realized that one of the youths amongst us has
special [spiritual] states. They called him brother Nayyeri. In those days, everyone was spiritual,
but his state was different! When we found out that he had been one of Ayatullah
Haghshenas's disciples, we asked him to become the Imam of our congregation.

Although he insisted a great deal on not undertaking this responsibility, he was forced to take
the lead by the order of the person in charge of the platoon. Obedience to the commander was
mandatory. In short, the guys in our group benefited from his presence for three months.
Brother Nayyeri was a quiet and calm man. Therefore, it was not easy to understand his
character. Most of the time, when we were busy talking, laughing, resting, and so on, he was
reciting the Quran or researching. Amongst us, there was one person who spent more alone
time with Brother Nayyeri than others. They were engaged in spiritual wayfaring with one
another.

84
Ali Talai never separated from Ahmad Agha. They were each other’s confidantes. Talai was the
only son of a family from the north of Tehran. He had been raised in a prosperous family, a
family that we later found out is not very religious! This is how he had arrived, and God
appointed Ahmad Agha for him so that they may walk the path of perfection together. Even
though he was a few years older than Ahmad Agha, they were like Murad and Murid (teacher
and student). He knew Ahmad Agha better than others, so he never separated from him.

I remember we went to a shrine. We walked back from there. We were on our way when the
guys started speaking to Brother Nayyeri. There, the topic of martyrdom came up. The leader of
our platoon mentioned the time and manner of his martyrdom! I listened with intrigue. Ahmad
Agha also said, “I had a dream about my brother. He came after me and took me to the sky.
Although, the time for that won’t be for a while!!” Ali Talai also said, "I am waiting for a 'mortar
shell 60' to come down with the Hoor ul-Ayn and..." Talai had insightful information about
Ahmad Agha's inner [spiritual] state. He knew things that no one else knew about. That is why
he never separated from Ahmad Agha. One time while he was reciting the Quran with Ahmad
Agha, I went and sat among them and the photographer took a picture of us. That became the
opening scene of this story.

We were in the Faw area when Ahmad Agha was martyred. Talai was also injured that night.
After the operation, I saw our [old] friends gathered together talking about Ahmad Agha. They
were saying unbelievable things! From Ahmad Agha's constant connection with Imam Al-Asr
(Aj) (or information about certain cases, etc.) I said to my friends, “We should ask Ali Talai
about these cases. He knew Ahmad Agha better than others.” An old friend said, "You want to
go to Ali Talai?" I nodded in agreement.

My friend said, "Thank you very much, Ali Talai was martyred a few days ago in the line of
defense of Fav, and left to join Ahmad Agha."

85
 A Lantern Breakfast
Rahim Ithna Ashari

After some time in Dokuheh, it was announced that the Salman Battalion would be sent to
Mehran for defense. I remember vividly that we went to the Sang Shekan area around Mehran
on December 27, 1985. We replaced another battalion at night. Ahmad Agha, Ali Talai, and I
and a few others were in one stronghold. I remember that Ahmad Agha had increased his
efforts in self-development from that first day. After his night prayer, he went to the guys and
very gently called them for morning prayer.

Ahmad Agha would go up to the guys’ heads and, massaging the brothers’ shoulders, would
gently say, “So and so, get up. It is time for morning prayer.” Some of the guys pretended to be
asleep so that Ahmad Agha could massage their shoulders! After everyone woke up, we got
ready for prayer. Our stronghold was large and a congregation would form behind Ahmad
Agha.

It was after the prayers and Ziyarat-e Ashura that Ahmad Agha spread the tablecloth and said,
“It is makrooh to sleep during sunrise. Let's have breakfast. We ate ‘lantern breakfast’ in those
days. Breakfast under the light of lanterns! Because the sky wasn’t bright yet. When the sky
brightened, we prepared to rest.”

In that period of defense, we did not have specific jobs. Only a few people did surveillance
work.

‫٭٭٭‬

86
We were sitting inside the stronghold. Suddenly there was a terrible sound of an explosion. We
jumped out. A cannonball had directly hit near our stronghold. I said, "Guys, what if the enemy
wants to advance?!" Around our stronghold and on a hill, there was a small stronghold used for
surveillance. Our platoon leader, along with two others, started running towards it!

Ahmad Agha, who was usually a quiet person and spoke softly, suddenly yelled out, “Stop.
Don't go there!!” All three stood in their place. Ahmad Agha slowly lowered his head. We all
looked at each other in surprise! What was this that Ahmad Agha said?! Why did he yell?!
Suddenly there was a terrible explosion. Everyone dropped to the ground. When the dust
settled, we looked at the site of the explosion. There was nothing left of the small watchtower.

Once we were heading to the frontlines from afar. An embankment was drawn towards the
front line. Ahmad Agha was moving from the top of the embankment, and we were also moving
from the bottom. The company commander was watching us from a distance. Suddenly he
shouted, “Brother Nayyeri, come down. You might be shot.” Ahmad Agha quickly came down
from the top of the embankment. As soon as he was next to me, he said, “Nothing will happen
to me in this area. The place of my martyrdom is elsewhere!”

A couple of days later, I noticed he was very happy. I was surprised and asked, “Brother
Nayyeri, I haven’t seen you this happy?” He said, “I was looking for a book in Tehran and could
not find it, but here I was able to.” Then he raised his hand, he was holding the book "Siahat-e-
Gharb" (or "Journey to the West").

87
 The Last Saga
Rahim Ithna Ashari

I am thankful to God. I had a notebook with me those days where I would write down the
smallest events. Almost three decades have passed since then, but it seems that it was only
yesterday when...

In the middle of February, we returned to Dokuheh from the Mehran defense zone. Everyone
could sense the atmosphere of the operation. One night, Brother Mozaffari, the battalion's
deputy, spoke to us.

He said that with the end of our time on the front, we can settle our debts and return [home],
but the operation is near. It is better if we stay. Most of the guys said we would stay. But a few
separated from us. I believe our battalion was purified because those who left us had no sense
of spirituality! I remember that on February 6, they took us to the operational camp. We were
there for a week. We heard the news of the start of Operation Wal-Fajr 8 right there on the 9th
of February. Two days later we went to Abadan.

The next day we were taken to a shed near Arvand. On the 13th of February, we were
transferred to the other side of Arvand. We spent two nights in the support strongholds. We
were told that the second stage of the operation was underway, and that this stage was much
more difficult than the first attack because the enemy was fully aware.

It was the night of February 16. Brother Nayyeri wrote his will.

During our meal, he opened a package of sweet halva and said, "Guys, come and let's eat our
halva before martyrdom!" When the Maghrib and Isha prayers were over, we prepared to
leave. The battalion commander and axial official spoke to us. They said, “You must start your

88
movement from behind the area of the operation. You will follow the road of Khor Abdollah,
then pass the swamp and also cross the positions of the Hamza battalion. A little further on,
you will reach an important bridge. This bridge must be destroyed because in the continuation
of the operation, the enemy’s armed forces may surround our forces by crossing this bridge.”

The commander's talk ended. However, given the vigilance of the enemy and the intensity of
the fire, our chances of success were slim. That is why another battalion prepared to support
us. I felt bad about myself. The leader of our group turned to me and said, "Do you want to be a
martyr?"

I said, “Whatever God wants. I came to fulfill my duty.” He said, “Nothing then. Be certain that
you will not be martyred. One must beg for martyrdom. Someone isn’t martyred just like that.”

The movement of the battalion began. Nobody knew what would happen in the next few hours.
Our battalion crossed the groves and reached the important road of Khor Abdollah. The
movement of the forces one behind another in a column began. Brother Mirkiani was a
wounded veteran and could not move at the same pace as the rest, so Brother Mozaffari led
the battalion.

We reached the positions of the Hamzeh Battalion soldiers. Mortar fire had intensified around
us. Most of the mortar shells hit the swampy area and did not explode! That night, a group of
30 of us advanced at the head of the battalion. Brother Nayyeri, who was the deputy of the
platoon commander, was ahead of the others. We passed this stage in full health.

89
 Martyrdom
Rahim Ithna Ashari

In the middle of the night and in complete silence, we approached the enemy bases. We could
hear the voices of the Iraqis. Under the lights, the enemy's machine guns on both sides of the
road were visible to us. I couldn’t breathe. The other guys kept on arriving and lining up behind
each other.

I remembered about an hour before [the operation] when all the guys were seeking forgiveness
from each other. As in which one of them will leave to visit his Mawla (master) tonight?! I was
occupied with these thoughts when a bright light turned on above us! The Iraqi gunner
shouted, "Qif! Qif! (Stop)."

All the guys jumped on the ground. Suddenly everything fell apart. Both enemy machine guns
opened fire at our guys. The intensity of the fire was very high. The screams and wails of the
guys grew louder every moment. I raised my head in the midst of this throe. I saw brother
Nayyeri on his knees aiming his shotgun at the left machine gun. He fired several bullets.
Suddenly I saw the enemy fire stop! Brother Mozaffari got himself to the front of the platoon
and shouted, “Guys, Imam Hussein (A) is waiting for you! Allahu Akbar!” He fired at the enemy
and started running. Everyone got fired up. Suddenly we got up and went after him. The enemy
line collapsed.

90
The guys quickly advanced towards the bridge, but the enemy obstacles were too many. The
conflict intensified. Bullets, mortar shells, and grenades rained on our heads. We reached near
the important bridge in the area.

‫٭٭٭‬
The sky had not yet brightened when we were ordered to return. Another battalion had been
chosen to replace us and continue the work. When the enemy's fire intensity decreased, those
who were safe came out of the strongholds. On the way back, I looked at the group of guys.
Those who were returning were less than sixty people! In other words, our 300-strong battalion
reached one-fifth of its size in less than a few hours!

As we were returning, we reached the enemy's gun posts, where we had started everything
earlier on. The body of the Iraqi gunner had fallen on the ground. We passed through there. I
had not taken more than a few steps from the place when a martyr's body on the side of the
road caught my attention! I went forward. My steps slowed down. I sat next to his body. He still
had glasses on his face. Moonlight had made him more luminous

It was him. Brother Nayyeri. The same person that was ahead of everyone in spirituality. The
same person that we never got to fully understand. When I stepped back a little, I saw the body
of Mahdi Khudaju. Then Tabataba’i, our battalion official. Then Mirzai. My God what has
happened?! All the guys in our platoon had left. It was as if I was the only one who remained!
You do not know how difficult those moments were.

When we returned to the camp, I searched for the guys of our platoon. From a group of 30
people who we were with day and night for three months, only eight had remained! I was in a
terrible state. I remembered the words of the platoon official who said, “Martyrdom is not
granted to just anybody. You have to beg for it.”

I later heard one of the guys say, "Brother Nayyeri collapsed on the ground when he was shot.
Then he got up and put his hand on his chest and said, ‘Asalamu Aleyka Ya Aba Abdillah…’ Then
he collapsed on the ground and departed [from the world].”

91
 The Timeline of Jihad
The Martyr's Manuscripts and Friends' Memoirs

The entire period of Ahmad Agha's presence on the frontlines did not exceed three months.
Just when their quarterly period was over and the entire battalion was to return, Operation
Wal-Fajr 8 began. Not much is known about Ahmad Agha's condition during that time. We tried
to find someone who was friends with him on the frontlines but did not find anyone.

We were after memories from his time on the frontlines, but we found nothing because, unlike
his friends, Ahmad Agha joined a battalion with no familiar people around him! During his time
in the frontlines, no one knew him. So in this regard, it was easy for him!

He could easily engage in his spiritual activities, and this is a sign of the people of marifah
(gnosis) who prefer solitude and anonymity to fame and presence amongst friends! Only after
his martyrdom did one of the soldiers come to the mosque and tell us the story of his
martyrdom.

Many friends sought to understand Ahmad Agha's frame of mind on the frontlines. They used
to say, “Ordinary people dramatically change when placed in the conditions of jihad. Now, what
was the spiritual state of Ahmad Agha, who engaged in the spiritual wayfaring of the
AwliyaAllah (Saints or Friends of God) inside the city, on the frontlines?

In one of the letters that Ahmad Agha sent to his friend, it is mentioned, “The frontlines build
humans. It is a very good place for its kind! That is, those who can utilize its opportunity, and
not a good place for those who can’t.”

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The diary left by Ahmad Agha, studied after many years, recounts some of his spiritual states in
the period of jihad. Ahmad Agha writes somewhere in his diary, “On Sunday, 1/19/1986, in a
stronghold near morning time, I saw in my dreams that Agha Haghshenas was not allowing us
to become martyred due to his supplication. I begged and pleaded to Agha a lot. Agha had a
very luminous and kind face and treated me with special respect.”

Or elsewhere it is stated, "On the night of 2/3/1986, I dreamed that Imam Khomeini was very
mournfully grieving over Ayatullah Qazi. And this while giving a speech and even...(unclear).
That night I prayed for Ayatullah Qazi and God granted me a great favor during dawn.
Alhamdulillah (Praises to God).”

Ahmad Agha writes in the continuation of his memories, “On Wednesday, I wanted to perform
ablution for prayer when suddenly my eyes fell on Hazrat [Imam Mahdi] (Aj).”
Date: 2/5/1986, Dukoheh garrison.

Elsewhere in this diary, he mentions, “On Friday, I cried a lot in the Majlis of Imam Zaman (Aj),
held in the Hajj Hemmat Hosseinieh of Dukoheh garrison.

“After tawasulat (seeking nearness to him) and upon getting a hold of myself, I saw that not a
single drop of the tears that I shed had fallen to the ground! Perhaps the angels had taken all of
it with themselves.”

93
 News of Martyrdom
The Martyr’s Mother

It had been three months since Ahmad left for the frontlines. Except for one or two letters, we
did not hear anything from him. I was worried about Ahmad. I asked his friends, “Do you have
any news about Ahmad? I am very worried.” One day I saw Radio Maresh broadcasting about
an operation. I became more worried. The pounding of my heart became stronger.

People were happy to hear that the operation had begun, but no one can truly understand the
state of a mother who is unaware of her child’s condition. Everyone knew that Ahmad was my
best and least troublesome child. I loved him very much. Now, this unawareness had worried
me a lot. I supplicated regularly and thought of Ahmad. Until one night I dreamed that a white
dove was sitting on my shoulder. Then another dove came beside him, and they both flew to
the sky.

I woke up stunned. What if this second bird is a sign of the second martyr of our family!? But
no, Insha’Allah, Ahmad will return safely. I went back to sleep. This time I saw something
stranger. This time I was sure I would never see my son again. In my dream, I saw that the
angels of God had come down to earth! A howdah or beautiful room that was used by kings in
ancient times was in the hands of the angels.

They came near us and put my son Ahmad Ali in it. Then all the angels took off to the sky with
Ahmad. The next day, some of the neighbors came to our house inquiring about Hossein Agha!
It seems that they had heard that Martyr Mahalati had been martyred and thought that
Hossein Agha was with him.

I would tell them that Hussein Agha is at home. I am upset about Ahmad Ali. That day I saw the
mother of martyr Jamal Mohammad Shahi. I have known this dear mother in this neighborhood

94
for many years. She inquired about Ahmad Ali. I said, “I am unaware. I do not know where he
is.”

Sayyeda Khanum, Martyr Jamal’s mother, also had a strange dream which she later described
to me. She said, "In my dream, we went to Tehran’s Friday prayers. There was such a huge
crowd there that it was unprecedented. Then they announced that Imam Zaman (Aj) had
arrived and wanted to pray over the body of one of the martyrs! I went forward with difficulty.
When they wanted to say the name of the martyr, I tried to concentrate. The loudspeaker
announced, 'Martyr Ahmad Ali Nayyeri.'” In short, I realized that day traffic around our house
had increased. My son kept coming and going.

It was noon when we heard from the news that the plane carrying Martyr Mahalati had been
targeted and he was martyred. Then they came to our house and gave us the news of Ahmad
Ali's martyrdom. Ahmad's funeral and burial ceremony was attended by Ayatullah Haghshenas
and the words he used to describe my son made the ceremony very strange. After the words of
Hazrat Agha, Ahmad's friends came up and began to narrate the miracles they had seen from
him.

It is strange that my son had a very normal life when he was home. But I never saw a makrooh
(disliked) act from him, let alone a sin. Ahmad was gone, but I knew he was not from this world.
He could not stay in this world. He was ready to leave at any moment, and God called Ahmed to
Him in his youth. After Ahmed, we collected all that was left of him. He had several volumes of
books that we handed them over to the Islamic Seminary of Qom. One of the scholars said,
“Who were these books for? These are heavy even for students!”

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 A Beautiful Scent
Hajj Morteza Nayyeri

Nowruz of 1986 had arrived. The fortieth ceremony of Ahmad Agha was near. So, we went with
Majid to order the tombstone. One weekday afternoon, we drove to Behesht Zahra (S). We
received the tombstone and the aluminum sign above the tomb. Then we bought some cement
and materials and speedily went to block 24.

There was no one in Behesht Zahra (S). It had also begun to lightly rain. I said to myself, “I wish
we could bring one or two other people to help.” At that moment, a young man wearing a
green scarf came forward and said hello! Then he asked us, "Will you let me help you?" We
likewise became happy and said, "Sure, welcome."

As I worked, I was thinking back to the memories that I had with Ahmad Agha. I was the cousin
and son-in-law of their family. We had been together since childhood as well. Every time we
went to Ayneh Varzan village, we were together day and night. Ahmad was very energetic as a
kid. He easily climbed walls, had great football skills, and so on. But when he became a
teenager, he found himself on the path of spirituality. Hajj Agha Haghshenas gave a good
direction to Ahmad's life and took him to spiritual heights.

We finished placing the tombstone. To install the sign above the tomb, we had to dig a little
from the top of the tomb so that the base of the sign could be situated in the ground. Rain
began pouring heavily. It was around sunset time. The soil there was also loose. I sat on the
ground and started digging with my hands.

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A deep pit was made. My hand would go up to my shoulder in the pit and throw the dirt out.
But I saw a stone blocking me. I was so occupied with my thoughts that I did not even think the
pit had gotten so deep that I might reach the grave! I emptied the area around the stone and
pulled it out. In those moments of sunset, I suddenly saw the space under the rock was hollow!

I lowered my head in surprise. I noticed that the stone in my hand was one from the top of the
tomb and now an opening has been created into the grave! I turned pale. Why did I not pay
attention? Why did I dig here so much? As soon as I went to put the stone back in its place, I
smelled such a pleasant scent that I haven’t sensed anything like it to this day! I wanted to keep
my head just like that in the pit.

I raised my head. There was no perfume outside the pit. At that time, they had not decorated
flowers around the grave. I could only smell the damp rain. I said to myself, “Ahmad was
martyred forty days ago. Don't they say that a corpse starts to stink after a few days?!”

I lowered my head inside the grave again. It was as if a bottle of perfume had been emptied in
there. We placed the stone back in its place. We installed the tombstone and prepared Ahmad
Agha’s gravesite for the 40th ceremony. When we wanted to return, I stood up again and gazed
at his grave. I was certain that the corpse of Ahmad Agha had remained safe and sound like the
rest of the AwliyaAllah. It was raining heavily. I was standing up and got very wet. Agha Majid
called me and I headed back to the car.

But the thought of that scent wouldn’t leave my mind; a pleasant scent that could not be
compared with any of the perfumes in the world.

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 Guidance
A Group of the Martyr’s Friends

A verse of the Quran says that the martyr is alive. The martyr has power. He has the ability to
influence and we see the influence of his blood in society. The first time I saw Ahmad Agha in a
dream was some time after his martyrdom. Our friend group had lost its axis with the
departure of Ahmad Agha. I became friends with people in our neighborhood who were not
tied to religious matters. One night in my dream, I saw that we were in the alley with the same
friends. They said to me, “Rasoul, go hide, Ahmad Agha is coming.”

I went behind the wall and watched from there. I saw Ahmad Agha come to our alley with the
same luminous and innocent face. Then my friends took Ahmad Agha and forcefully pulled him
out of the alley! As Ahmad Agha was being taken out of the alley, he shouted, "I must see
Rasoul." There were tears in my eyes. I missed him so much. I ran and jumped in his arms and
started kissing Ahmad Agha. I came to understand everything from this sincere dream. From
the next day on, I cut ties with those friends and never saw them again.

‫٭٭٭‬
I still feel his presence in my life. Even now that I have made a life of my own and have a child.
Even now, when I go astray, he comes to my aid.

I even know some friends whose children have grown up. The children of Ahmad Agha's friends
also have a connection with him and ask for his help. One of our friends had trouble with his
child’s marriage and asked for Ahmad Agha’s help. And just like when he was physically present
among us, Ahmad Agha came to his aid.
.

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I even know some people who were born after the martyrdom of Ahmad Agha, but after
hearing his memories, fell in love with him and have a good connection with him.

‫٭٭٭‬
Some time had passed since the martyrdom of Ahmad Agha. We were supposed to go out for
fun with a number of friends, even though I knew they were not good friends and they might
turn to sin. God is witness, that night I saw Ahmad Agha in my dreams in which he came to me
and said angrily and upset, "Do not go out with them, do not go anywhere with these friends of
yours!"

The next morning, I told my mother to send them away however she could. But I started to
wonder about that dream! Later, I heard from those same people that they had fallen into sin
and so on. Ahmad Agha not only thought about our [spiritual] training when he was physically
present in the world, but he is still not separate from us and seeks to guide us.

Another friend said, “In the days of sedition of 2009, we were confused and perplexed.

One night in my dream, I saw Ahmad Agha had come to Amindoleh Mosque, but he didn’t make
it to prayer. I said, "Ahmad Agha, you weren't here, did you arrive late?" Ahmad Agha uttered
one sentence and left, "We are very busy!" It immediately occurred to me that certainly, the
martyrs are solving these problems. I remembered the luminous words of the Late Imam
[Khomeini] where he used to say, "The Muslim has been insured and protected by the blood of
the martyrs of Islam and the revolution."

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 Center of Remedy
One of the Martyr’s Friends

Imam Khomeini has a very important and beautiful sentence, "These graves of the martyrs will
be the centers of remedy forever." As in, they show the way to those who will come for matters
of this life and the next. As long as he was alive, Ahmad Agha was like a doctor looking after the
servants of God who took their hands and showed them the way to heaven.

God has also addressed the martyrs as those who are alive. So he is still looking to guide. If
someone goes to him during this period as well, he will certainly not return empty-handed.
Many of Ahmad Agha's friends and students never think that he is not among us. They
remember him just like the past and tell children, friends, and acquaintances about Ahmad
Agha.

I was always with Ahmad Agha until the very last days. I remember one day I complained to
Ahmad Agha about my mother's illness. I said, “Whatever we have done, my mother has not
gotten well. The doctors have given up hope on her.” And then I started crying. Ahmed took a
special look at my face and said, "Do not be upset, your mother will be fine!" The next day my
mother was well! She no longer suffered from her illness, until one year later. That next year, in
the last days that we were with Ahmad Agha, I went to see him again.

I was upset because of my mother's illness. He smiled and said, "She will get well, Insha'Allah
(God willing)." And then, very strangely, my mother got well! One year passed after Ahmad
Agha’s martyrdom. My mother’s illness came back, and she was in much worse condition than
before. This time I went to the grave of Ahmad Agha at the top of the grave of Martyr Chamran.

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I said, “Ahmad Agha, may I be sacrificed for you. This disease of my mother has become a yearly
occurrence! You are alive and are aware of everything. You ask God to cure this disease of my
mother permanently.” I said this, then came back. I felt like Ahmad Agha had smiled again and
said she will get well, Insha’Allah! My mother got well the following day. All the doctors had
given up hope on my mother, but she was cured with the prayer of Ahmad Agha. My mother
did not get sick for many years after that incident!

‫٭٭٭‬
Every year on the second of Eid, we visit the homes of the mosque’s martyrs, especially Martyr
Nayyeri. This year, one of the young Basij guys insisted on coming with us. When he came to
the house of Martyr Nayyeri, he said to me, “I got married eight years ago but could not have
children. Until, per the advice of the older Basijis of the mosque, I went to the tomb of Martyr
Nayyeri in Behesht-e-Zahra (S).

I had heard that he has a great reputation with God, so I said, "I believe you are alive and, with
God's permission, are able to solve people's problems." Then I asked him to pray that God
would give me a child. This servant of God paused and continued with a shaky voice, “After that
incident, my wife became pregnant and a few days ago my twin children were born.”

We have heard many such stories from friends and acquaintances and even those who did not
know him, but we refrain from talking about them.

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 Will
The mystic and seeker of God, Martyr Ahmad Ali Nayyeri, although present in different
operational areas for three months only, began writing a will just a few hours before his
martyrdom! In the introduction of his will, after praising God and offering his testimony of faith,
he begins with Ayat ul-Kursi and says:

“With greetings and respect to the holy spirits of the prophets and the infallible Imams (A)
especially Hazrat Baqiyat ul-Allah (may our souls be sacrificed for him), [I will mention] a few
lines from the traditions of the Holy Prophet (S) as a reminder for us and for me. May they be
remnants and competencies [in the afterlife] for me, God-willing.

“All praise belongs to the Lord of the worlds, who inspired us, considered us worthy, and
guided us. And he blessed us with many messengers, especially the Holy Prophet (A) and the
Infallible Imams (S), so that we may become established guides in this world in the face of the
shayateen (the devils, i.e army of Shaytan). Blessed are those who have recognized the
meaning of their existence while in this world and perform their duties in the hope of purifying
their soul and increasing the degree and pleasure of worship and humility of the heart! Only
one who practices strict vigilance over their actions and words can reach such a station.

“Quran, do not forget the Quran. Know that the best tool for monitoring your actions is the
Quran. Preserve Islam in all its aspects. Help the leadership and guardianship of the jurist
(Wilayat ul-Faqih), which is one of the most important wajibats (obligatory duties) of this time.
May God Almighty provide you with a good reward! And peace be upon you and upon the
righteous worshipers.” Ahmad Ali Nayyeri. 2/15/1986.

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 Remembering His Brother
He was a literate young man. He received his university education at Tarbiat Moallem
University in Tehran. He was very religious. That is, anyone who grows up in Amindoleh
Mosque and in the presence of Ayatullah Haghshenas will surely become a perfect human
being. He was a well-dressed and athletic person. He played football for the Taj (Esteghlal)
youth team. In short, he was the complete package.

During the time of the revolution, Hamid-Reza was one of the pillars of the mosque's
revolutionary and cultural programs. He was present at all rallies and revolutionary programs.
He got a degree in mathematics and was a student in the field. With the victory of the
revolution, he formed the first student groups in response to the counter-revolutionaries.
Tehran Teacher Training University on Mofatteh Street became the center of he and his friends'
activities. As a young man, he attended the meetings of many scholars, such as Allameh Nouri
and other great figures of Tehran. He had come to know Islam correctly. Hence no one could
create any doubt in his beliefs.

I had seen him holding a sign and participating in student rallies many times. He was one of the
founders of the Imam Khomeini adherents’ student group. He would get involved in communist
groups and such, and then start debating with them.

No one could counter his strong arguments and rhetoric. He was truthfully one of the treasures
of the revolution. It was not long after the victory of the revolution that the counter-
revolutionaries began to target the university environment.

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The conflict was drawn to this environment of science and knowledge. They wanted to capture
the Tehran Teacher Training University which was located in the center of Tehran. But he did
not allow them. With a number of his like-minded friends, he became involved in resistance.

Tehran Teacher Training University escaped the attack of the opposition. Now, the same
building he protected is named after him, in the name of Martyr Hamid Reza Nayyeri.

The war in Afghanistan began. Our neighboring Islamic country was attacked. He went to their
aid. He said, "Islam has no borders." Along with his cousin, he took off for a foreign land. He
came back some time later, but his cousin Mohammad Hussein was martyred in the conflict. His
body never returned. The counter-revolutionaries had made Iranian cities unsafe. He went to
the north of the country for publicity programs in defense of the revolution. In those years he
did not have a second of peace. His palpitating heart beat for the revolution and Islam.

With the start of the war he said goodbye to his family. He went to Abadan and joined the
army, but separated some time later and joined the popular forces under the command of
Seyyed Mojtaba Hashemi. It was the first days of the war and the operational areas were very
uncoordinated. It was the only irregular warfare group that operated in Khuzestan. He joined
them and along with his friends, stopped the advancement of the Iraqi army. Hamid Reza
[finally] attained peace on one of the cold days of winter 1981.

He was martyred after a hard and breathtaking battle on the Abadan-Mahshahr road. Hamid
Reza's body remained in the operational areas until the following year. It was found after the
operation "break the siege of Abadan." Hamidreza Neyyeri is currently resting near the grave of
his brother [Ahmad Ali Nayyeri] in section 24 of Behesht Zahra (S), until the day he is risen to
assist the awaiting Imam (Aj).

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 Letter
One of the beautiful things that Ahmad Agha did for his friends and students was write letters.
These letters were full of mystical and epistemological instructions. In the following, we will
briefly read the letter that was sent to Mr. MashaAllah Mohammad Shahi in 1983. However,
according to the belief of all his friends, these letters seem to have been written for the current
generation. So when you look at these mystical letters, be of the mindset that Ahmad Agha has
written it for us.

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Beneficent

ً َ َ َ َ َ َ َّ ً َ َ ْ َ َ َّ
‫َو ِم َن الل ْي ِل فت َه َّجد ِب ِه ن ِافلة لك َع ََس أن َي ْب َعثك َرُّبك َمق ًاما َّم ْح ُمودا‬
And during the night wake up and pray, as an extra offering of your own, so that your Lord may
raise you to a highly praised status. (Surah Isra’; 79)

A man inquired from Amir al-Mu'minin (A) about the reward of someone waking up at night to
offer prayer and read the Quran. His Holiness said in response, “Give him glad tidings, for the
one that spends 1/10th of the night sincerely trying to win the pleasure of his Lord by offering
worship, Allah will say to His angels, 'Write for my servant a reward equal to the number of
grains, leaves, and trees on this night, and to the number of seeds, thorns, pastures, and so on.'

“The one who prays 1/9th of the night, Allah will grant his duas (supplications), and on the day
of resurrection, give his book of deeds to his right hand. Someone who prays 1/8th of the night,
on the Day of Resurrection, will be risen from his grave with his face illuminating like the moon
on the night of the 14th (clear and bright), and will pass the Sirat (the path) along with the
secure ones.

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“The one who prays 1/7th of the night is considered a repentant and his past sins are forgiven.
The one who prays 1/6th of the night will accompany Ibrahim Al-Khalil in his special station.
Whoever prays 1/5th of the night will be at the forefront of the victors, to the degree that he
will pass the Sirat like the wind and enter paradise without any reckoning.

“Whoever prays for 1/4th of the night, the angels will not be still until they profess their
jealousy of his position and status to Allah, and it will be said to him, ‘Enter Paradise through
any of its eight gates.’ Whoever prays for a 1/3rd of the night, if he is given gold seventy
thousand times, it will not be equal to his reward, and it will be more felicitous for him than the
release of seventy servants from the descendants of Ishmael.

“A person who prays for 1/2 of the night, his rewards and blessings are as many as the particles
of the desert, with the smallest one (in amount) being eleven times heavier than Mount Uhud.
And whoever stands up for prayer an entire night, while reciting the Book of Allah Almighty and
bowing, prostrating and remembering [Allah], will be given such a reward that the least of them
is that he will be completely cleansed from his sins like the day his mother gave birth to him.

“And good is written for him in the number of God’s creations, and status is given to him to this
degree, and so forth, and he will be raised from his grave as one of the believers and Allah the
Exalted will say to His angels, ‘O 'my angels! Take my servant to paradise for he stayed up one
night for my sake. Place him in Paradise.’ In paradise, there will be a hundred thousand cities
for him, in which everything that the heart desires and the eyes will find pleasure in looking at,
and the minds cannot imagine will be present.

“And all of this is half of the bounties, plentifulness, and stations of proximity [with Allah] that I
have prepared for him.”

O Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent, have mercy on me. When there is a cry
from the flames of Hell, "Where is Ahmad Nayyeri?"

The same person who wasted time over big wishes and procrastination. And wasted his life
with ugly deeds. After this cry, the agents of hell will come to me with a hasty and terrifying
iron pillar, and they will drag me to a severe torment and throw me headfirst into the depths of
hell. And they say, “Taste it! For you are the same person who [arrogantly] thought of yourself
as valuable and dear in the world.” And they will hold me somewhere as a captive forever, as a
companion of the blazing fire.

The drink there will be fire and my eternal abode hell and hamim. The blazing flames will throw
me out, but the pit of hell will swallow me up again, my ultimate wish being to die, but there
would be no sign of death. My feet would be tied to my forehead, my face blackened by the
darkness of sin, and I would be screaming in every direction that I go. to every side of Rome.
Everywhere I turn, I will say, “O Malik, the promise of torment has been fulfilled for me.

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“O Malik, we have lost our strength due to the weight of the iron chains. O Malik, the skins of
our bodies have been grilled, O Malik, take us out of here for we will not return to ugly deeds
again.” And then I’ll hear an answer, “Never! Now is not the time for salvation. There is no
going back from this position of abjection, hold your tongue and do not utter any speech. If you
are supposed to get out of here, you will return to the same ugly deeds that you were
forbidden from doing.”

After this answer, I will become completely hopeless, and feel severe shame and painful regret,
then be thrown headfirst into the fire. Fire [will thus] cover above our heads, under our feet, to
our right, to our left, and I will be completely drowned in it. My food will be fire, my drink will
be fire, our bed fire, and our clothes fire.

‫٭٭٭‬
With greetings to my dear and esteemed brother, Masha'Allah Mohammad Shahi. I hope you
are well, under the refuge of Allah, and have attained divine knowledge. Dear Masha’Allah, just
as I’ve illustrated, a human being must get to know the Almighty well. [For] when a human gets
to know Allah, he will pursue his obedience and servitude.

However, some of us have not gotten to know Allah well. Per our own thinking, we do deeds
that we say to ourselves will draw us closer to Allah, while that is actually not the case. Rather,
every second that we spend committing these acts, we move away from Him. So, my brother,
we must come and evaluate the deeds that we do from morning to night or from night to
morning.

Masha’Allah, I’m very upset with you during the hours that we were together because your
akhlaq (behavior) has completely changed. Masha’Allah, you have fallen very behind. Try, save
yourself. If you act lazily again, you will fall further behind. That is when the Lord will not grant
you favors as He ought to have! That is when you will succumb to your nafs (animalistic soul)
and Satan.

It will then take a lot of effort for you to save yourself from them. Try to get back to your
original station. Masha’Allah, I think the cause of this problem is due to dealing with women
that you associate with, and due to dealing with brothers who are still in the throes of their
nafs. When you spend time with brothers of the same age, instead of learning something from
them or teaching something [yourself], you are busy with useless laughter and conversations
that entertain you and words that place more veils [between you and Allah].

Or, when you are alone, instead of gaining proximity with Allah, you spend your time with vain
thoughts. Masha’Allah, think of something. Go back a little. Remember the time you were in
Tehran with your friends and associates, how many favors you had, how much you
remembered Allah. Every day you at least learned something or taught something to someone.
But not now!

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Instead of observing silence when you are with someone and have nothing to say, you
continuously talk. Masha’Allah, I get very upset when I see you like this. I’m very upset with
you. When (so and so) came to me and said, "Masha'Allah has not spoken to me for a while,
and even when I greet him, he does not respond."

Is Masha’Allah like this? I swear to God that if you are like this, you are distant from Allah. Do
you want me to describe to you who (so and so) actually is? He is someone because of whom
Allah brags to His angels. He is someone whom the Imam of the Age (Aj) is satisfied and pleased
with. Then your miserable self does not talk to him? Instead of boasting that Allah has brought
you such a person, you separate yourself from him?

Or are you not ashamed? Are you not ashamed of God, who has placed so much of your love in
the hearts of people and maintained your respect in their eyes? It is truly shameful for you to
be like this! Masha’Allah, if you see him and do not kiss his hands and face and do not apologize
to him, know that I will not forgive the right that I have on you, go and be ashamed…

If I hear that you are still separated from him, I will pray to God to guide you. Maybe you will
see his station in a dream and thank Allah for providing you with someone like him. My brother,
Masha’Allah, I hope that the Lord guides you and that you will always have the pleasure of
Allah. As I told you in Rineh Village, you do a lot of childish things that are beneath you. Reduce
them. Insha’Allah, you will be victorious.

Where there is a great barrier between you and your Lord, look to see if what you are saying is
beneficial or not. Masha’Allah, do not support that which you do not understand properly.
When you want to support someone, get to know them properly and understand their work
properly, then support them.

Masha’Allah, know this, when I first saw you in Rineh, on top of that bridge, I became very
upset. Because the light on your face had faded severely, and I wanted to advise you then but it
was not possible. Masha’Allah, read the Quran a lot. Do not forget your school books either.
Respect your brothers.

Respect your friends too. You are wrong to suspect one of your friends. You should always
consider yourself smaller than them. Regarding (so and so) you should go to him, and if you see
that he is in error, save him, rather than leaving him. See how far behind you have fallen? Do
you converse with someone who is a lover of this dunya (world)? So try to get yourself to the
same station as before. And Masha’Allah… turn the above words into practical action.
Insha’Allah you will succeed and insha’Allah you will be saved from the devil who has
captivated you.

Old age and youth came by like day and night,

We became night, then the day arrived but we did not awaken

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 On the tablet of sin, we did not write an excuse
Next to the Kabaer (major sins), we did not write any good [deed]

(Act on the above lines of poetry)

And peace be upon who follows guidance

Your little brother, Ahmad Ali Nayyeri

A Letter to Another Friend

Praises be to the Lord of the World and Peace and Blessings of Allah on Muhammad and his
Purified Progeny. With greetings to the Imam of the Age (May our souls be sacrificed for him),
greetings upon you, dear and esteemed brother.

Insha’Allah that you are well and in the protection of Allah, performing your responsibilities
dutifully and freeing yourself from the burden of the shayateen (demons) from jinn and human
beings, Insha’Allah.

First of all my brother, it is a source of great pride for me to have a brother like you to benefit
from your spiritual existence, and this is a divine grace for me and thus obligatory for me to give
thanks to Him. I hope that this friendship and brotherhood will be useful in both worlds,
especially in the Hereafter.

There were a few words I wanted to tell you in person and benefit from your physical presence,
but what can I do that divine judgment has ordained us to be away from each other, but I hope
we can be together in other ways and treat the pain of sin and distance from God with the
blessings of Ahlul Bayt (A). So we can protect ourselves and then others from this abyss of
falling into the mire of the world and establish a pure and special path of servitude over our
entire being.

My brother! Note that there is no spiritual wayfaring without getting up at night [for worship].
My dear, correct your deeds, words, actions, and thoughts so that the favor of the night prayer
can be revealed to you, and then you will be able to attain spiritual degrees. This will not be
achieved and you will not reach this degree unless someone is watching over you and providing
you with homily and akhlaqiyat (ethical lessons).

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Now [you may] wish to find a teacher or spiritual instructor for there is latent [potential] inside
you. But you can only achieve this on the condition that in the first stage you abstain from the
abyss of sin and in the second you abstain from the makroohat (that which is not
recommended) and doubts as much as you can so that gradually a spiritual instructor may
appear for you. (O’ calm soul, return to your Lord, satisfied and content) so that in the end of
the path (you enter paradise), by the will of Allah, the Almighty.

Have you ever paid heed to our master the Patron of the Age (Aj)? Do you know that the heart
of our master aches from the calamities of his esteemed ancestors and on the other hand from
the deeds of the servants of God?! My brother, why are we not ashamed of our actions? Do
you know that with every sin, we leave another scar on his blessed heart? It is truly shameful.
Why are we so ignorant? On one hand we miss our master, but on the other hand we upset
him. We must try to reduce our hours of negligence with respect to our Lord. Consume yourself
with the shame of sin and do not lift your head in humility.

Have you seen how a father draws away his child with a frown, and the son goes to the father
with a special sigh and wail and beauty? If God forbid, you find yourself in such a situation, go
to God with grief, humility, wails, tears, and a broken heart, for this is very valuable for those in
need of it and for the one who repents.

Note that the pleasure of all of life is in the moment one can experience no veil between him
and his Creator. Is there any pleasure higher than seeing the Immaculate Imams? And how
lamenting and grief-filled they are in their whispers with God. Study the life of Ali ibn Al-Hussein
(A). Read his prayers carefully and see what they did.

It is a shame that we consider ourselves followers and Shiites of the Ahlul Bayt (A), and we
know and call each other by this trait, but in practice, we completely fail their requests [and
expectations]. For as long as you are able, seek knowledge of Him (Allah), for if you attain
knowledge of Him, you will reach the highest degree of servitude. There is a lot to say regarding
this topic that if I survived and we were able to see each other in person with the favor of the
Ahlul Bayt (A), I will tell you how it is possible to overcome ourselves (our animalistic soul). In
the hope of that day, Insha’Allah.

A few words of reminder and Insha’Allah, action: Hazrat Baqiyatullah (Imam Al-Mahdi) said to
one of the servants of Allah, “Take care of your dead and keep their hearts satisfied. As much as
you can, recite surah Yasin after the morning prayer, surah Naba after the noon prayer, surah
Nuh after the afternoon prayer, surah Waqia after the evening prayer, and surah Mulk after the
night prayer.”

Elsewhere, the Imam told one of his companions not to forget two things: 1- Repent [for sins]
and 2- Ask our assistance in all your affairs. Try to recite 50 verses of the Quran a day my
brother. So that you can plant the remembrance of God in your being and make your
appearance clean and pure.

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Throughout your entire life, the results of your actions are of value to you, so make a good
bargain to increase that value. Consider intercession to the immaculate Imams obligatory upon
yourself and weep and grieve for their absence. On Friday nights, recite Ziyarat Ashura
especially, because it is beneficial for you. Adapt your work schedule in such a way that your
work will be beneficial for you.

If your heart is ever lonely, remind yourself of the conditions of death and the hereafter, for it is
useful. Or the recitation of the Quran, the supplications that have reached us, the
remembrance of God, and good gatherings. Do not forget your associates, friends and brothers
that have a right upon. Perform your prayers on time. Attend Muslim congregations, especially
congregational prayers. Pray with the presence of the heart.

And finally, know that divine success has been guaranteed for an action that I will share with
you if I see you. Perform the above zikrs as much as you can and do not do too many
recommended acts [of worship] or you will miss that which is obligatory. Actions that are
sustained but few are better than many actions that are inconsistent.

And in the end, if I have failed you with my shortcomings, forgive me and be satisfied with me,
and do not forget the right of our friendship and brotherhood while we are alive [in this world]
and after death, and do not forget prayers of goodwill.

Peace be upon you and upon the righteous servants of Allah.

Your little brother, Ahmad Ali Nayyeri.
12/22/1985

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