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In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

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I was very delighted when I was informed that tribute was going to be paid to late Allameh [Mohammad Taqi] Ja'afari.

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The reason is that with regard to this honorable person, who was a very active element

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in the fields of science and propagation [of Islamic ideas] and religion and arts and the likes of these,

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no suitable step had been taken commensurate with his personality following his demise.

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Well, it is common that when it comes to great personalities in a society,

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their memory, [and] their name is somehow glorified – [and] it is better if this is done when they are still alive, [and] if not, at least, after their demise –

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so that, others would be able to avail themselves of their scientific identity and real existential nature, which are not perished with death.

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And this tradition, praise be to God, is common among us as well. I don’t know why with regard to late

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Allameh Ja'afari (May God’s Mercy Be upon Him), we have not acted upon this usual and common and prevalent habit of ours!

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Therefore, when I heard that a congress is going to be held about him and

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[when I was told that] people of Tabriz on one side, scholars from Qom, on the other side, and those who have been scientifically related to him, on the other side,

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are involved in [holding] this [congress], I was happy; this is really [the] right [thing to do] and this step is [quite] justified.

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One of the most prominent characteristics of late Allameh Ja'afari was his comprehensive knowledge.

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I mean, he was not limited to a specific [scientific] discipline. With regard to what we do as seminary school students, he had worked in the field of both [Islamic] jurisprudence and philosophy.

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With regard to [Islamic] jurisprudence, he was a pupil of late Amirza Razi Tabrizi in [the Iranian city of] Tabriz. Amirza Razi was a pupil of Akhound. I had met late Amirza Razi;

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he was the topmost of [Muslim] ulemas in Tabriz. At a specific juncture of time, he was number one cleric in Tabriz.

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Mr. Ja'afari was close to him when he was young, attended his classes and was his pupil [as a result of] which he himself

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told us stories about his relationship with late Amirza Razi. Then he went to [the Iraqi city of] Najaf.

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Well, for a number of years in Najaf, he attended classes of Mr. [Ayatollah Abolqasem] Khoei, classes of other [seminary] dignitaries and, apparently, [also attended classes of] late Asheikh Kazem Shirazi.

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Well, these [classes] turn [a person] into a jurist after all; I mean, after attending this sort of classes, those people who are involved in scientific and religious issues

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believe that this [person who has attended these classes] is a jurist. He had also worked in the field of philosophical issues

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and among his characteristics in this sector, which is related to philosophy, was attention to viewpoints of Western philosophers,

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and since old times, [I mean, since] his youth when I met with him in [the city of] Mashhad,

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he was well-versed about these issues and discussed them – [including] the viewpoints of [the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich] Hegel and the likes of him [and] such things, which were not yet common at that time

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and nobody in religious seminaries ever talked about them and did not know them

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or was not concerned with these issues.

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I met him in Mashhad in [the Iranian calendar year 13]33 or [13]34 (1954-55). Well, I was an adolescent [at that time]

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and he had just arrived [in Mashhad] from Najaf. He had a relative in Mashhad;

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his paternal uncle was in Mashhad and for some reason – and now there is no need to go into its details –

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he and his brothers, as they commonly say, secured a foothold in Mashhad, [and] were well-known in Mashhad.

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For this reason, they went to Mashhad and stayed there for a period [of time], and now I do not remember how long.

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The Navvab Seminary School, where I studied, was a place where he frequently visited, sat down [with students], [and] talked [to them and did it]

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with that engrossing and sweet way of expression and that beautiful accent; and what he did was [very] attractive.

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[And there was also] that book of his, which [was titled] Man-World Relationship – [and] he insisted that “do not call it ‘man and the world’, but call it ‘man-world’.”

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He especially emphasized this. I myself heard from him that said no, it is not “man and the world,”

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[and he said this when] its first volume had just been printed. He took it to the Navvab Seminary School and some students gathered around him  [and] he explained that

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‘this is the book, we want to say this, [and] we want to do this’.

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Of course, his scientific [way of] expression was not an easy expression [to be understood by everybody], just in the same way that his scientific written expression is not an easy expression either.

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Therefore, now, I cannot say anything or make any claims about his philosophical views,

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[because] those people among our friends, who were more related [to him] are in a better position [to explain his views]. However, well, he was well-versed [about philosophy], [and] was [well] informed.

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He was [also] very hardworking. In reality, the personality of Mr. Ja'afari (May God’s Mercy Be upon Him) [was prominent] in that no part of the humongous scientific and intellectual expanse,

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made him negligent of the other part. Now, you imagine that he has [written] a book explaining [Mawlavi’s] Masnavi and [another] book explaining [Imam Ali (PBUH)’s] Nahj-ul-Balagha at the same time.

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Well, profound and essential differences exist between Masnavi and Nahj-ul-Balagha. [However, despite these differences,] he has written a detailed commentary on Masnavi

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[and] then has written a detailed commentary on Nahj-ul-Balagha and made them available to public opinion.

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And [he] was also like this from literary and artistic viewpoints. He was an artist by spirit and was art savvy.

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I remember that in early [years of] the revolution, there was a small session, which was held once a week or once every two weeks,

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and despite many difficulties that I had [at that time], I tried to take part in it.

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He was a regular participant in that session in Tehran; some poems were read out [in that session],

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[and] sometimes difficult poems were read out, [but] he had such a good command

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in terms of understanding poems and comprehending poems and knowing poems and the likes of these that [it totally] surprised me!

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It is well known that people who have a good memory lack intellectual depth; [and] those people who have intellectual depth, do not have a good memory.

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They say that these two [characteristics] do not go hand in hand. Mr. Ja'afari had proved falsehood of this notion;

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I mean, he was given to deep thinking, was a thinker and [at the same time,] had an extraordinary memory [as well]. I mean, his memory was really and truly among wonders!

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When in Mashhad, I used to take a country walk along with

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late Mr. Ja'afari and three other friends, which [on the whole] we were five people;

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one of those friends is still alive and the other three, including [Mr. Ja'afari] himself, have passed away.

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We walked in Mashhad countryside over these mountains and talked; Mr. Ja'afari did not allow you

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to feel how long the distance was as he was a good talker and warm-blooded

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and had good command [of subjects he talked about] and was well-prepared in all discussions.

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Then among [his top features was] his memory [which was really strange]. It was enough for you to refer to a poem [and he read out the rest by heart].

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I remember that on one occasion, we were talking about [Iranian poet] Manouchehri, [and] I made a reference [to him]. [While reading a poem by Manouchehri] I said, “Yes, ‘now where is my light-footed camel’?”

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[I read out] half a line of an ode. He started to read out that [long] ode from the beginning to the end, [and he did it] by heart!

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I mean, he was like that; [his] memory [was] an extraordinary memory and was ready for [discussing] everything.

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Among his characteristics, was the feeling of responsibility

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about propagating the teachings of Islam. He [was] a speaker

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and, well, had a sweet accent and was assertive.

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I remember that he was invited [to various sessions] before [the victory of] the revolution. At that time, I was in Mashhad. In Mashhad, he was sometimes invited to some special sessions

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and he came from Tehran. In Tehran itself, [and] in other places, he held many sessions after the revolution

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for the youth, for students, for university teachers,

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for clerics, [and] for the general public and [in those sessions he] promoted and propagated religious teachings.

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I mean, his scientific standing as well as his intellectual and scientific position did not bar him from descending to the intellectual level of his audience and discuss [various matters with them].

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One of his characteristics, of course the number of positive characteristics in him was really very high,

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was that religious zeal. He was extremely zealous

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about and committed to religious issues and was sensitive about deviations that emerged in the words and thoughts of some people, and dealt with them head-on.

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Well, he had many enemies and [some people] even insulted him, but at the same time, he stood fast in [the middle of] this arena.

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And truly and fairly speaking, Mr. Ja'afari (May God’s Mercy Be upon Him) was a prominent element and personality.

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He was a patient person [as well]. Despite all these spiritual characteristics and subtleties in him,

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he was a patient person. He went through difficult times, [including when] his sister died, [in addition to] his wife.

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I mean, he went through such hardships in his life as well, but at the same time, he was unfaltering and steadfast; [and] was a strong man and a patient and highly resistant man.

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I hope, God willing, the Almighty God would help you be able

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to work on his thoughts. I mean, we must learn this from people in the West, who

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[never] let go of their intellectual personalities and their prominent figures. Now, [their efforts] are not limited to recounting biography [of those prominent figures],

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but they also pay attention to expounding their thoughts and various aspects of their thoughts.

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[To do this,] they write many and numerous books about them, [and] criticize them [as well]; some people oppose them,

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some support them, [and] some argue [in their favor]. Such steps must be taken with respect to our intellectual figures, including late Mr. Ja'afari,

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and I hope that, God willing, [through] this commemoration [conference] that you have organized,

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you would be able to do this [and] trigger this movement and bring Mr. Ja'afari himself and his thoughts out of [the current state of] negligence.

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At any rate, I thank all of you esteemed gentlemen who have been involved [in organizing this event],

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both the people of Tabriz, and scholars from Qom and scholars from Tehran.

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I thank all people who are involved in doing this job.

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Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings