On the occasion of the 7th day of the demise of the divine scholar and pious professor, Hojat al-Islam Haj Sheikh Mahdi Pishvaee, a virtual commemoration ceremony was held with speeches by scholars and professors of the seminary.
The ceremony was held on Monday evening, August 23, 2021, with the participation of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, Arbaeen Cultural Headquarters, World Assembly of Shiite Studies, Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Center for Islamic Seminary Management, and Association of Seminary Historians.
Late Pishvaee's books among textbooks: Arafi
As one of the speakers at the commemoration ceremony for the late Pishvaee, the director of Islamic seminaries said, “The tragic case of the Covid-19 pandemic left many of our citizens dead and many families mourned. In the meantime, in the seminaries too, many great figures and scholars were lost due to this disease and caused the mourning of the seminaries and us.”
“One of the honorable figures of the seminary was the late Pishvaee. He was one of the brightest figures in the field of history. He was born in Meshgin Shahr and spent most of his life in scientific-research activities in seminaries. He was one of the prominent figures of the seminary in the field of history, and during about half a century, he trained many students. There are many works left by him which are considered as the seminary sources,” continued Ayatollah Alireza Arafi.
“The personality dimensions of the late Pishvaee are instructive for seminary students. He had moral qualities that are considered important in the seminary. The consistency of the seminary is to have morality and Maarefat. The late professor had special decency, morality, and humility,” he added.
“The first point in the character of the late Pishvaee is moral virtues. The second point is that from a young age, he chose a special field of study in the seminary. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, specialized courses were formed in the seminary. But before the Revolution, there was no such diversity of specialized fields of study in the seminary,” Ayatollah Arafi specified, considering the late Pishvaee as sincere in his work.
“The late Pishvaee spent his life devoting himself to the history of Islam and Shia. This is one of the highlights of his personality, and this specialty made him the source of many blessings,” he continued.
“The late Pishvaee entered wisely in the history of Islam. He did a good job of writing Maqtal (description of the martyrdom of the Infallibles) because he considered it necessary to address this issue. In the field of history, there are several approaches to raise historical issues. One method is a negligent, narrative, and superficial look. In many cases, the scientific community has dealt with history in this way. Another method is the ijtihad (Inferential) approach. This method is based on rational and narrative assumptions. But the late Pishvaee studied history in a measured and standard way, and this method made his books reliable,” added the director of seminaries.
“He had a media personality, and since the founding of “Maktab-e-Islam” magazine, he wrote for that. He had more than 200 articles in magazines. He was one of the top experts in Radio Ma’aref,” Ayatollah Arafi stated, referring to the characteristics of the late Pishvaee.
“His works were accurate, and in addition, the late Pishvae had many works that were far from superficial historiography. He solved the intellectual problems that arose for society in the field of history,” he continued.
“The late Pishvaee had an eloquent tone in his writings and some of his books are among the textbooks that show the power of his pen. The late Pishvaee generated important resources in the field of history,” he added.
“His work was often tailored to questions in society. The late Pishvaee was an influential figure in the seminary, and his works are among the intellectual assets of the seminary and are important resources for the development of the field of history in the seminary and university,” Ayatollah Arafi specified, considering the works of the late Pishvaee in accordance with the needs of the society, the seminary and knowledge circles.