Sheikh Abbas Ali Akhtari (Persian: شیخ عباسعلی اختری; 7 December 1939[1] – 31 October 2022)[2] was an Iranian Ayatollah. He represented the Supreme Leader of Iran in Semnan province, while also serving as the Imam of Friday Prayer in Semnan.[3] He also represented the people in Khorasan province in the early 80's for the first term of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iranian Parliament). He later represented the people of Tehran province for the seventh term of the Iranian Parliament.[4] He was a member of Assembly of Experts, from February 2021 to October 2022 in the fifth term of the Assembly of Experts, after the death of Nasrallah Shah-Abadi. He was elected in the first midterm elections of the Assembly of Experts on 23 February 2020.[5]

Ayatollah Sheikh
Abbas Ali Akhtari
آیت الله شیخ عباسعلی اختری
Abbas Ali Akhtari in 2016
Representative of Supreme Leader
In office
1981 – 11 January 2003
Appointed byRuhollah Khomeini
Preceded byOffice Created
Succeeded bySeyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi
ConstituencySemnan Province
Friday Prayer Leader of Semnan
In office
1981 – 11 January 2003
Appointed byRuhollah Khomeini
Preceded byOffice Created
Succeeded bySeyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi
Member of First term of Islamic Consultative Assembly
In office
28 May 1980 – 27 May 1984
ConstituencyMashhadKhorasan Province
Member of Seventh term of Islamic Consultative Assembly
In office
27 May 2004 – 26 May 2008
ConstituencyTehran Province
Majority1,971,557 (26.36%)
Member of the Fifth term of Assembly of Experts
In office
22 February 2021 – 31 October 2022
Preceded byNasrallah Shah-Abadi
ConstituencyTehran Province
Majority961,773 (49.99%)
عباسعلی اختری
Abbas Ali Akhtari
TitleAyatollah
Personal
Born(1939-12-07)7 December 1939
Died31 October 2022(2022-10-31) (aged 82)
ReligionIslam
NationalityIranian
JurisprudenceTwelver Shia Islam
Alma materQom Hawza

Biography

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Abbas Ali Akhtari was born on 7 December 1939 in Sorkheh.[1] After obtaining his diploma in school in his hometown, he went to Mashhad to attend the Hawza there. He stayed there for around 20 years, before leaving to Qom to attend advanced classes in Islamic studies in Qom Seminary, as well as teach there.[6] He had been in trouble with SAVAK before the Iranian Revolution, he was arrested for making anti-Shah speeches.[7] He served the Iranian military service alongside Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.[8] After the revolution, he was chosen by Ruhollah Khomeini to represent him in Semnan province, as well as leading the prayers in Semnan.[3] He resigned from these posts in 2001, and Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi was chosen by Ali Khamenei to replace him.[9] He served two terms in the Iranian Parliament. He was unsuccessful in the 2016 Iranian Assembly of Experts election,[10] however, was elected in the midterm elections in 2020 replacing Nasrallah Shah-Abadi.[5]

 
Abbas Ali Akhtari giving a sermon in his first Friday Prayer in Semnan, 1981.
 
Abbas Ali Akhtari greeting soldiers near the frontline during the Iran–Iraq War.

Works

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Abbas Ali Akhtari has published several works throughout his life. Here are some of them.[11]

  • Familiarity with the Quran
  • Toli and Tabari
  • Young People at a Crossroads
  • The Manifestations of Wisdom in the Words of the Infallibles (peace be upon them)
  • Imams and Revival of the Values of the Islamic Revolution

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Akhtari, Abbas Ali. "PDF – Biography of Abbas Ali Akhtari" (PDF). semnan.bmn.ir (in Persian). Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  2. ^ عضو مجلس خبرگان رهبری درگذشت (in Persian)
  3. ^ a b "سمنان تاکنون چند امام جمعه داشته است؟ - Who were the Friday Prayer Leaders of Semnan?". شبکه اطلاع رسانی راه دانا (in Persian). Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Abbas Ali Akhtari – Member of Parliament". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b "جدول نتایج انتخابات میان‌دوره‌ای مجلس خبرگان". ایسنا (in Persian). 23 February 2020. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  6. ^ "عباسعلی اختری – Abbas Ali Akhtari biography". hawzah.net (in Persian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  7. ^ "اختري‌، عباسعلي‌ (حجت‌الاسلام‌)". 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  8. ^ "عباسعلی‌ اختری‌ - Abbas Ali Akhtari". rasekhoon.net (in Persian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  9. ^ Khamenei, Ali (11 January 2001). "Appointment of Mohammad Shahcheraghi". khamenei.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  10. ^ "عباسعلی اختری نویسنده کتاب تحکیم خانواده". فروشگاه اینترنتی ایران کتاب (in Persian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  11. ^ "عباسعلی اختری – پاتوق کتاب فردا – Abbas Ali Akhtari Bibliography". bookroom.ir (in Persian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.