Hawzah News Agency- the message was released on the occasion of a scientific tribute ceremony held in the northern Iranian city of Sari to honor the life, scholarship, and social influence of Sheikh Abdulnabi Nouri, a distinguished figure in Iran’s religious and intellectual history.
In his message, Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani underlined the pressing need, particularly in today’s circumstances, to reassess and highlight the status of religious scholars—especially those who played a transformative role in society through educating students and producing lasting scholarly works. He stressed that such figures not only preserved religious knowledge but also guided communities through critical historical periods.
The senior cleric emphasized that the position of knowledge and scholars in Islam is of exceptional stature, noting that no other social group has been praised as extensively in religious teachings as scholars and people of learning. He explained that the true mission of scholars is to dispel ignorance and illuminate society with guidance, safeguarding the intellectual and moral boundaries of the community.
Referring to the rich scholarly heritage of Mazandaran province, he said the region has produced a remarkable number of prominent religious figures throughout history, so many that documenting their names alone would constitute an independent volume. Among them, he noted, were renowned scholars such as Sharif al-Ulama, Sa‘id al-Ulama, and Sheikh Abdulnabi Nouri.
Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani recalled that he personally benefited from the intellectual legacy of Sheikh Abdulnabi Nouri through the latter’s students, adding that leading scholars of the time frequently cited Nouri’s views, many of which reflected the jurisprudential approach of Sheikh Murtaza Ansari. He also noted that other prominent figures, including Ayatollah Marashi Najafi and the well-known mystic Ayatollah Sheikh Ali Akbar Elahiyan Tonekaboni, had drawn from Sheikh Nouri’s teachings.
Sheikh Abdulnabi Nouri, he said, studied under major scholars of the Najaf and Samarra seminaries and benefited from two of the most influential centers of Shiite learning of his era. He was contemporaneous with major figures such as the author of al-Urwat al-Wuthqa, Haj Noorollah Esfahani, and Zia al-Din Iraqi. In the fields of philosophy and mysticism, he trained notable students including Mohammad Taher Tonekaboni and Ayatollah Rafei Qazvini.
Highlighting the defining feature of Sheikh Nouri’s character, Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani said he was a “scholar of his time” who actively engaged with the social and political realities of society. During the Constitutional Movement, Sheikh Abdulnabi Nouri supported reform and played an active political role, firmly believing that religion must be accompanied by political and social responsibility. He maintained a strong presence in public life, particularly in Tehran, where he established a mosque and a social base to address the needs of the people, emerging not only as a religious authority but also as a social and political reference point.
The message also praised Sheikh Nouri’s humility and sincerity, noting that respected intellectuals of his era spoke highly of his character and contributions.
In conclusion, Grand Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani expressed appreciation for the organizers of the scholarly commemoration ceremony and prayed for continued success for all those engaged in preserving and promoting Iran’s rich religious and intellectual heritage.
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