Ayatollah al-Mujahed Muhammad Reza Saeedi was born in April 22, 1929. After study in Mashhad and Qom seminaries and enjoying the presence of such grand teachers as Ayatollah Boroujerdi and Imam Khomeini, he achieved the level of Ijtihad. Ayatollah Saeedi was fascinated to Imam Khomeini’s firm determination to upraise for the sake of God as well as his splendid trust and faith in God and so resolved to accompany Imam Khomein in his struggle against taghout (false god). His revolutionary activities and endeavours resulted in his several imprisonments by SAVAK. Upon the Shah’s invitation of American investors to allegedly invest in Iran- indeed a colonial decision to offer, en bloc, Iran’s economy to the US- the clerics of Qom Seminary released an announcement to warn people of this conspiracy. In the meantime, Ayatollah Saeedi released a declaration in Arabic addressed to the clerics of other Islamic countries, calling for resistance and uprising.
He travelled to many places for propagation of Islam. For example, many of Iranians who were resident in Kuwait asked Ayatollah boroujerdi to send a scholar and strong lecturer to them that Ayatollah Saeidi was selected by Ayatollah Boroujerdi. In one of his journeys to Abadan County to take religious lectures for people but because of speech against Pahlavi Regime, was arrested by police and jailed. His activities against Pahlavi Regime were increased by beginning of 1962 he says:
‘’ ...I went to Imam Khomeini’s house to consult. Imam was ready to pray but spent his time to listen to me. I realized that you will be more alone from now and he answered what do you say Saeidi? Swear on God that if all devils and men want to stop me, i’ll don’t stop and continue this way. Because I found it right... I became stronger when I heard these words from Imam...’’
He travelled to Najaf to propagate Islam and Imam Khomeini’s holy movement and Imam was so welcomed to this city when he was exiled to Iraq by Ayatollah Saeidi’s attempts.
A successful pattern for mosque management:
After coming from Najaf and by requests of many people of Tehran, he accepted to be the Imam of Mousa Bin Jafar Mosque of Tehran in 1965 and changed this mosque as a strong base for fighting against Pahlavi Regime. Imam Khomeini showed his happiness because of his activities in this mosque by sending a letter in 1385 Hojri Qamari:
‘’ I am so happy because your migration to Tehran. Because the capital needs such religious scholars like you’’
He advised youth to start their work with deep thinking to be merciful to God cause of giving them this divine gift and bounty (reason and thinking ability). You are nothing if you cannot recognise the enemy and fight against him. These my words are not policy but religion...’’ he spent his most energy to attract youth to mosques and Islam and helped them in spiritual and material ways to make their marriage easy. He ordered to recognize the poor people who were living in his district to help them and established the funds to help people and tried to call on his homesick neighbours.
I talk standing
His revolutionary fights against Pahlavi Regime caused to be not allowed to speech in mosques. This event was started since 1967. One day that he wanted to talk to worshippers said:
‘’ brothers, they asked me to not talk to you on seat. Its ok, I stand to talk to you’’
He never stopped his revolutionary activities even when he was not permitted to talk to people in public places, especially mosque. He wrote many worthy books and articles during this time. Some of his texts are:
1) A de3scription on Orvatul Vosgha
2) Consolidation in Islam and its importance at present time
3) Translation of Imam Khomeini’s Amr Bil Marouf book to Persian language
4) Women freedom
5) Work in Islam
6) Textbooks about Islamic Jurist Guardianship Theory
7)
Every drop of my blood shows the name of Khomeini
He was tortured many times during the kingship of Pahlavi Regime, even when he came to Tehran. Also he was scared to be killed by the officers of Pahlavi Regime. But he answered them:
‘’ swear on God that if you even kill me, any drop of my blood shows the holy name of Khomeini’’
Hujatul Islam Majidi says:
‘’ one day, we were passing an alley with our friends and we wet a man whose feet were cut. We said hello to him and he recognized us from Mousa Bin Jafar Mosque and asked do you know Ayatollah Saeidi? I said yes. how?
He started to cry and said I was camion driver and cause of occurrence of accident, i lost my feet and Ayatollah Saeidi always called on me and helped me so much tp fulfil my home and family requirements. He was a gentleman...