In the Name of Allah
Ayatollah Burujerdi and the Objection by Japalaghi
Ayatollah Burujerdi taught his students in one of the rooms of the courtyard of the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Fatimah Masumeh (AS). Before each lesson, he would be dropped off there by a carriage, apparently belonging to him, and when the lesson was over, he would be picked up and dropped home by the same carriage.
One day, one of his students, called Japalaghi, who was a scholar, gnostic, and pious man raised an objection to Ayatollah Burujerdi. Apparently,he repeated his objection twice. Ayatollah Burujerdi said something which was not appropriate considering the status of Japalaghi. This hurt Japalaghi’s feelings. After the lesson ended, Ayatollah Burujerdi returned home.
Another student of Ayatollah Burujerdi said, “Around sunset someone was sent to my house asking me to go to Ayatollah’s house. I went to his house and was surprised to see that he was not sitting in the place he usually did”.[1]
The student said, “I had not seen Ayatollah Burujerdi in this place. Haj Ahmad, his secretary, sat next to him. Ayatollah was anxious. When he was in such a state, no one had the right to talk to him before he himself spoke”.
He continued:
As I was familiar with Ayatollah Burujerdi’s ways, I said salaam and sat close to him but kept silent. That was the only thing I said. For a few minutes I was merely looking at his face but did not have the courage to ask anything. The carriage with which he would go to the mosque for prayers was ready by the door. I was left bewildered as to what I should do and why I was asked to come to that place. His secretary too was in a state similar to mine. There were three people in the same place, each with an uproar within. The secretary did not have the courage to ask his question and I did not dare to ask why I was summoned to that place and the Ayatollah was engrossed in his own thoughts.
The time for prayers had approached. The student thought to himself, “I will say we have to go, he will either get upset or I will get a convincing answer”.
Anyhow, I said in a very low voice, only loud enough for Ayatollah Burujerdi to hear, “Sir, it is time for prayers. Will you not go to the mosque?” (It should be said here that Ayatollah Burujerdi would say his Maghrib and Isha prayers in the Great Mosque of Qum and his prayers, and in particular his Rukus were very long.) Once again, I said a bit louder, “Sir, it is getting late for prayers”.
When I said this, he spoke up and said, “What prayers? What right do I have to pray when I have hurt one of my students’ feelings?” I did not understand what he meant. He explained what had happened.
I told him, “But Ostad, Master, Seyyed you do not ever hurt anybody’s feelings”.
He said, “Prepare the carriage; we have to go. Do you know where Japalaghi says his prayers?” I replied, “Yes, I do”.
Ayatollah Burujerdi said, “This was why I asked you to come. Get ready, we have to go to the mosque”.
We were going to start off when Seyyed (Ayatollah Burujerdi) said, “Ask Haj Ahmad to accompany us to see what we will do!”
I was surprised and did not understand what he meant. Anyway, we went to a small mosque in Qum. Mr. Japalaghi had said his prayers and was preaching. There were ten to twenty people listening. He was going to discuss a religious issue when Ayatollah Burujerdi (May Allah elevate his status) stepped in.
Japalaghi wanted to descend from the Membar (a raised structure for a preacher), when Seyyed said, “No, remain where you are”. He moved next to the Membar and said:
I have come to this place without saying my Maghrib and Isha prayers. I hurt your feelings today while teaching. However much I thought to myself, I could not pray in such a state and even if I did, of what benefit would my prayers be? Prayers which are said with a heart broken are of no use. Now I have come to this place to say, “Here is my face and here the sole of your foot”.
Ayatollah Burujerdi with his high status, being a religious leader of the Shiite world at his time, went beside the Membar in front of everyone and said, “Hit me”.
Japalaghi replied, “How would I dare? I would never do such a thing”. However much he insisted, it did not happen.
Ayatollah Burujerdi said, “All right, if you will not do so, say you will forgive Seyyed Hossein Tabatabaie Burujerdi, the son of …”
Japalaghi repeated this sentence many times, “I forgive. I forgive”.
Seyyed said, “O Allah, bear witness …”
He then said his prayers in that place.
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[1] This issue is related to the fact that the manifestation of place is reliant upon the manifestation of illumination. In other words, one who is endowed with gnosticism, the manner he/she sits, the limits of the place occupied, and even the way he/she looks all follow that which he/she has accumulated within. Superficially, he/she sits in a place, but in reality there is a lot going on within him/her which is manifested through looks, signs, gestures, silence, or immersing in oneself.
Source: Part of teachings of esteemed philosopher, Dr. Seyyed Ali Mousavi