Mustafa Mawjee
(United Kingdom)
During the Era of Occultation of our 12th Imam (a.s.)
It is our Islamic Scholars who have kept the bright light of Islam glowing
We remember and pay our tribute to some of these Great Souls
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Ayatullah Mohamed Taqi Behjat (R.A.)
His actual name was Muhammad Taqi Behjat Fumani, later on became famous as Ayt. Behjat.
He was born into a religious and pious family in the year 1334AH (1915CE) in Fuman in North Iran.
Conducting himself according to the Shari’a & the tradition of Ahlul Bayt a.s.
One of the important characteristics whereby Sheikh Bahjat was distinguished and which can be witnessed at the first look was his special care for observing the norms of conduct according to the Shari’a (Islamic legislative system) and the tradition of Ahlul Bayt a.s., peace be on them.
Sheikh Misbah narrates the following in this regard, “Shiite scholars of etiquette, all of them agree that the right path to perfection is the path of adoration – that man cannot reach any moral station without obedience to Allah, the most Exalted and Great, and acting upon His commandments”.
But the attention paid by the scholars to observing the Shari’a etiquettes and the tradition of Ahlul Bayt a.s., peace be on them, is not equal. Sheikh Bahjat was regarded as one of the most distinguished [theologians] for observing these norms. He observed in his conduct particularly interesting behavioural habits which cannot be easily described.
I am going to mention just one incident which I very clearly remember, perhaps it will remain in history for a long time to come, so those who wish to act upon the commandments of the Shari’a may get to know to what extent one must observe the commandments of the Shari’a – not only Salaat and Saum, but every little act should merit our attention.
“Ayt. Behjat inherited from his father a small plot of land suitable for planting rice. It was financing some of his domestic expenses. He had a habit of giving a measure of rice, though it could be just a few kilograms of it, to his friends and neighbours before using it himself. As the saying goes – others first, before yourself.
Once, I left Qum city for some time during the days of struggle. Nobody knew anything about my leaving the town, as well as my place of residence, not even our close relatives.
During that period, Ayt. Behjat had sent to our house a sack of rice once and a good sum of money some other time. What was noticeable this time was that instead of himself, he sent us the money with his wife and young son Ali, although every time he used to bring it himself. His wife brought the money and gave it to my wife, while his son Ali, was standing outside in the alley.
“After sometime, when I returned home, I kept thinking about the reason as to what prompted the Ayt. to send his wife to our house, which he had never done before. Possibly he did not even know that I was out of the town.
However, I soon came to know that before delivering the money to our house, he did his due diligence and found out that I was away. And according to Islamic ethics, if the husband is travelling or away from home, no outside male member should go to his house. If it is at all necessary to go to his house, a woman has to go.
How meticulously Ayt. Behjat observed the rules and regulations of the Shari’a. Though he was the giver of benefit in this case, his eyes were on all the corners of the Shari’a.
Mahmoud al-Badri; Uswat al-‘Aarifin; tr by Yasin T al-Jibouri