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Qahraman Ghanbari

It has been reported in the news that Mohammad Ali Taheri, the founder of the Erfan Circle, has been sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court. In order to shed light on the issue, I want to investigate the reasons behind the treatment of Mohammad Ali Taheri by the system of Islamic jurisprudence in the Islamic Republic of Iran. To do this, it is necessary to examine this conflict from the perspective of the historical differences between jurisprudence and jurists with Erfan and mystics. Although jurisprudence and Erfan are general terms and may not apply to specific individuals, or there may be significant differences in the quality of jurisprudence among jurists and the quality of Erfan among mystics, this writing is not aimed at assessing the quality of either, but rather takes a more general approach and allows the reader to delve deeper into the subject if interested. To understand the reasons behind this perspective, I draw the reader’s attention to news of the issuance of a

The religious institution and seminary have had their own office and authority before they gained power in Iran. It is neither realistic nor reasonable to limit the religious institution to the government of the Islamic Republic. In general, it is the duty of religious scholars and authorities in Islam, and specifically in the Shia religion, to guide Muslims. Although guidance is a general term, it includes introducing the true face of religion to the general public, performing marriage ceremonies, funeral rites, and other minor matters such as moral advice and recitation of elegies. Over time, religious scholars and the religious institution have attempted to answer questions that have arisen for the general public, who do not have religious knowledge, by relying on their knowledge and religious background. The religious institution and seminary have a unique and legitimate role in guiding Muslims towards the right path, which is Islam. This is not specific to Islam or the Shia religion; it is a concept that applies to all religions. Essentially, the philosophy of the emergence of religions

But what is mysticism? In the religions of the Yazdani people, the claimants of mysticism are opposed to the claimants of jurisprudence and theology who consider the gods to be inaccessible and even the jurist and scholar, the authority of fatwa, maintains their distance from God. They believe in closeness and merging of humans into the existence of God (like a drop of water in the ocean) in a way that they find or see God in everything, including themselves. Generally, in mysticism, the seeker of truth is looking to break and deny this barrier and distance between God and humans. Mysticism, with its poetic and somewhat ambiguous language, rejects argument, logic, and tradition and is more focused on love for God and experiencing this passion and enthusiasm. Throughout history, mystics have sought to experience a pleasure and love that is indescribable and non-sensual, to the point where they can say, like Hallaj Ana al-Haqq,

The universal unity is the same as the divine unity, and the day when a person reaches the understanding of this unity and sees themselves in harmony and oneness with the universe, they have reached the threshold of becoming divine and seeing divinity; a time when wherever they turn, they will see the radiance of their face and see nothing but Him, “When a person reaches a place where they see nothing but God.” (4).

Although this type of mysticism dates back thousands of years in this region, and the teachings of Mohammad Ali Taheri are not new, they may not hold the same weight as other great figures such as Bayazid Bastami, Nasimi, Hallaj, Rumi, Ibn Arabi, Abu al-Sa’eed, Shams Tabrizi, and Sohrevardi. However, Mohammad Ali Taheri is currently imprisoned and restricted due to his beliefs, and his freedom has been taken away. It should be noted that the knowledge, disciples, acceptance, and abilities of these individuals may vary, and some, like Nasimi, Hallaj, and Sohrevardi, have been declared apostates by religious scholars and have been killed in the most tragic manner. The intention of the writer is not to compare or analyze each of these mystics, or to determine who is superior to whom. Rather, the writer’s intention is to find the root of the conflicts between religious scholars

The difference between jurisprudence and custom is both about the interests of the two classes and about the beliefs and practices of each religion. As mentioned above, jurists and theologians believe that they are the intermediaries between God and the general public, especially in a country like Iran where the majority is Shia. The clergy and the institution of Shia leadership during the occultation period have the responsibility of guiding and leading the Islamic community. Even the issue we face today with the concept of “guardianship of the jurist” is derived from this sense of historical responsibility of the Shia clergy, which, when achieved, can demonstrate this truth, that is, the sense of responsibility and authority of the clergy over the Islamic community, which is recognized by the majority of Iranian citizens.

But on the other hand, it is known that even though they have never presented a new religion, they claim that in order to better understand the religion or to sincerely receive the divine gift, this intermediary circle must be removed and the common people do not need the scholars to connect them to God according to their principles of extraction; rather, through intuitive knowledge and hearing, asceticism, heart and pure intention, and the teachings of the scholars – which may sometimes be contrary to the opinions of the scholars – they can better understand God and existence. For example, going on Hajj is one of the fundamental principles of the Islamic religion and it is obligatory for every Muslim to perform Hajj if they are able (even though this can also be done for economic benefits such as the share of the Imam and khums, or financial benefits for tourists who are at the forefront of Islam in Mecca and Medina, or profits for the scholars from the share of the Imam and khums; but regardless,

“

Oh people who have gone for Hajj, where are you? Where are you?

My beloved is here, come! Come!

Your beloved is your neighbor, wall to wall.

“Why are you lost in the desert!”

If you see the beloved without a form,

You are both the master and the house and the Kaaba!

Aside from right and wrong, these differences that are a separate discussion, have always been criticized and condemned by jurists and theologians; because mysticism jeopardizes the social status and occupation of clerics and the institution of clerical authority, or challenges them. The institution of clergy, besides always being in power and always being in alliance with rulers, has been in a position of judge and advisor to the caliphs and kings, and has a great share of one-fifth of the tithe and tax collection, or the share of the Imam, which they are not willing to risk losing and try to confront in the most severe way possible. Although the founder of the Islamic Revolution and the current leader of Iran have a somewhat positive view of controlled mysticism, traditional sources of emulation such as Sistani, Hamedani, and Safi Golpayegani are generally opposed to mysticism and reject any form of it. (5) Of course, the question arises here whether this type

But it is clear why the Erfan Halqeh was able to make such progress; because belief is like a seed that, if planted in fertile ground and the conditions for growth are present, will grow on its own and become a strong tree. All religions and schools of thought have grown in this way. As Freud said, humans need a father figure instead of God to rely on in this world. The important point at the beginning of Mohammad Ali Taheri’s work was the several years of advertising by Ahmadinejad’s followers about the benefits of Islamic medicine, which led to a sudden growth in the Erfan Halqeh. During these years, when a deputy position for traditional and Islamic medicine was established in the Ministry of Health, Mohammad Ali Taheri, as one of the claimants of healing and medical power based on Islamic medicine and mysticism, caught the attention of the Ahmadinejad circle. For example, Mohammad Ali Taheri published several special articles on the subject of healing to

Taking all of this into consideration, today Mohammad Ali Taheri is a prisoner of thought and if the government truly believes that he has caused harm and damage to society, then for the sensitivity of his case and because the government does not have a good track record of being just and speaking the truth, he should be given a fair and public trial where the media and people can attend freely. This will help alleviate doubts and suspicions about his intentions and reduce the resentment and financial interests of the clergy. Until then, and until Mohammad Ali Taheri receives the right to a fair trial, the people have the right to call him innocent and a victim of the thoughts and animosity of the ruling class and clergy.

1- Footnotes:
1. The ruling of apostasy of Mohammad Ali Taheri by authorities, Fatan News Agency, 23 July 2016.
2. “The duty of scholars in the era of occultation”, website of the Leader’s Office in the universities of Qazvin province, lecture by Ayatollah Masbah Yazdi on the duty of scholars in the era of occultation, 29 April 2011.
3. Entry on “Irfan” in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (English).
4. Taheri, Mohammad Ali, “Principle of Unity”, “Principle of Unity Path”, website of the Irfan Reference Circle.
5. Fatwa from Ayatollah Sistani regarding Irfan and inner voice, Ibn Arabi website, 3 August 2013.
6. Scholars’ opinions on Mawlana and Irfan, Adyan News, 8 February 2015.
7. Special archive of the specialized journal