This book deals with a myriad of subjects related to human life: philosophy, mysticism, anthropology, cultures, arts, history and much more.

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The Mystery of Life A Secret Inside Secrets

Muhammad Taqi Ja’fari was born in the year 1925 in the city of Tabriz. He grew up under the care of a chaste and educated mother and a caring and pious father who was famous for his honesty and truthfulness.

The professor himself says: “I heard from the aged men of Tabriz that not even one lie had been heard from my father. I asked my father about this and he confirmed what I had heard, saying that he did not remember telling a lie since he had reached adolescence.”
<h1>  Scholarly studies:</h1>
Professor Ja’fari acquired his primary education in esteemed School of Tabriz. Because of financial difficulties he could not continue his studies and was forced to leave school. But a dream changed the course of his life. He says: “One night, while asleep I was reciting a poem in Arabic. In the morning my father asked me what I was saying in my sleep. I told him the dream I had and explained to him the meaning of the poem which was roughly that: May the hand of fortune be cut for bringing about these events, barring me from reaching my objective which is knowledge.

My father was very touched and told me to go and pursue my studies, adding that it is Allah (SWT) who provides mankind’s sustenance. After this encounter I went back to Talabiyeh School. It was about the end of the Second World War and the students had a very poor livelihood. So I used to work for half of the day and spend the other half studying.”

Because of his love of learning and knowledge, Professor Ja’fari entered the clerical school of Tabriz with his father’s approval, and continued his studies on the subject of religion. Later on he moved to Tehran and settled in the Marvi School. He began studying Makaseb [a book by the eminent jurist Sheikh Morteza Ansari (RA) on Islamic law] and Kefayah [a book by Akhund Khorasani (RA) on the principles of inference] under the supervision of Ayatollah Tonekaboni (RA). He also studied Manzumeh of Molla Hadi Sabzevari (a book on logic and philosophy for beginners) and some parts of Molla Sadra’s Asfar (a book on theology) under the guidance of the renowned philosopher and mystic, Mirza Mahdi Ashtiani (RA).

After these studies he entered Qom and had the opportunity of attending the lectures of Ayatollah Saduqi, Abdus-Samad Khoei, Sheikh Mahdi Mazandarani, and Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Zargar Tabrizi. For a while he also attended the lectures of Imam Khomeini (RA).

Professor Ja’fari after several years of studying Islamic subjects, moved to Najaf in 1364 H.Q and for eleven years attended the lectures of the ayatollahs Sayyid Abdul-Hadi Shirazi, Shahroodi, Khoei, and Hakim - may peace be upon their souls. The professor says: “During the years that I was in Najaf from the academic point of view it was very rewarding.

Professor Ja’fari after staying in Mashhad for a year came to Tehran and began teaching, preaching and composing.

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<h1> Scholarly Status:</h1>
About Professor Ja’fari’s scholarly status it will suffice to say that he got his permission for Ijtihad (the highest degree in Islamic jurisprudence) from Ayatollah Shirazi when he was only twenty-three years old. Also he got this permission from Ayatollah Milani when he was twenty-eight, while not only had he not asked but he didn’t even know about it.

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Correspondence and dialogue with western scholars:

During his stay in Najaf, Professor Ja’fari was acquainted with the ideas of western scholars and tried to contact some of them like Bertrand Russell, Professor Young, Dr. Giovanni Dermai of Italy, Dr. Picket of England, Rosenthal of Germany and many others.

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At the university:

Upon settling in Tehran, because of the martyred Ayatollah Muttahari and Mr. Ayati’s insistence, the professor began lecturing in Tehran University, Shahid Beheshti University, Sharif Technical University and some of the universities of the provincial capitals. These lectures had a lot of success amongst the students and professors.

The main issues of the day like philosophy sociology, psychology from an Islamic point of view, the relationship between morality and religion, the relationship between science and religion, the philosophy of life, the relationship between reality and knowledge, the relationship between physics and metaphysics and many other subjects were dealt with in the many lectures delivered by the professor in various universities. Some of these lectures were later published in print.

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Chair of professorship:

In a very short time because of his knowledge, piety, character and modesty Professor Ja’fari acquired a celebrity status amongst the university students and professors, because of the subject which he was invited to teach, philosophy. Professor Ja’fari was always interested in academic activities and so he accepted the invitation with pleasure. Thus until the end of his blessed life the professor used to teach Islamic sciences (logic, philosophy, Islamic law and economics).

The students and professors of Islamic sciences, in their search for answers and to solve their problems always benefited from his knowledge. They even went to his humble house to pose their questions and the professor always welcomed them with open arms.

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Interest in learning western philosophy

After learning Islamic philosophy, Professor Ja’fari decided to acquaint himself with western philosophy. On this matter he says: “I saw this spirit in myself when I was in Tabriz; this spirit of rationalism and being curious to know the world and the human being, which had already taken root in my mind. Though then I had just started my studies, as I proceeded this spirit only intensified. One of the reasons for this was that I used to see a strange kind of indifference in the westerners who came to the east and in the eastern youth who went from countries like Iran and Iraq to the west. They were totally indifferent towards our cultural identity. I used to ask myself what are these people given in the west that makes them so indifferent. It was as if these people didn’t know Averos, Avicena, Farabi, Abu-Reihan, Zakaria Razi, Mirdamad, Molla Sadra, Mawlavi, Suhrawardi, and hundreds of scientists like Sheikh Musa Khawrazmi, Juzjani, and Forghani who had discovered so many things.” This point increased Professor Ja’fari’s keenness towards further examination of western philosophy.

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<h1>Academic works</h1>
Professor Ja’fari besides teaching, used to write and do research. He has left many valuable works, of which only some are mentioned below:

1- Al-Amr Baynol-Amrain: this book is a collection of notes from the lectures of Ayatollah Khoei. It was published in Najaf in the year 1371 H.Q.

2- Compulsion and free will: this book was published in the year 1965 in Iran.

3- Fosterage: this book is the collection of notes from the lectures of Ayatollah Abd al-Hadi Shirazi for the advanced students of Islamic law. It was published in 1373 H.Q. in Najaf.

4- The relationship between man and the world: this book was planned in Najaf, but it was written in Iran and published in the year 1378 H.Q.

5- Conscience.

6- The creation of mankind.

7- Science at the service of mankind.

8- Morality and religion.

9- Physics and metaphysics.

10- The relationship between knowledge and reality.

11- Imam Hussein’s (AS) prayer in Arafat.

12- The benefits of Islamic law.

13- Human being from the Qur’an’s point of view.

14- A look at Imam Ali (AS).

15- Life’s ideal and the ideal life.

16- Mawlavi and world view.

17- Philosophy and the objective of life.

18- Exegesis, criticism and analysis of Masnavi (Mawlavi masterpiece).

19- Exegesis of Nahjul-Balaghah.
<h1></h1>
<h1> Death</h1>
Professor Ja’fari, who always followed the path towards Allah (SWT) and was an example of morality and modesty, after a blessed life of 72 years died at 10:30 London-time, in one of the hospitals of that city, on the 16th of November 1998, leaving behind many valuable works on the subjects of exegesis of Qur’an and Nahjul-Balaghah, philosophy, theology, and Islamic law. He had presented the society with some learned pupils before taking leave of the world and flying towards the Friend

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Muhammad Taqi Jafari

Muhammad Taqi Jafari

Born:

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Muhammad Taqi Jafari

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