In the Name of Allah

 Second Generation–Supreme, More Exalted than the First
In this article, we explain one of Ostad Mousavi’s ultimate goals, which is as follows: “I want to create a generation more superior than us, where knowledge and science is concerned”.
         According to a law in philosophy, when a person or a thing that is superior wants to be effective, those generated should be more beautiful for the world to become more magnificent. Otherwise, this would be merely a cycle of creation of one after another, which is unacceptable. Verily, Ostad Mousavi has based his teachings upon this reality that succeeding generations should be stronger than the preceding in knowledge and science.
         Esteemed philosopher, Ostad Mousavi, in his booklet titled ‘Willpower’ (p. 408), explains Mulla Sadra’s view in this regard, stating: “The world should know that a superior does not produce an inferior”. What is meant by ‘superior’ is superior in status, in speech, in thought, in effect, etc. This superior person’s aim should be to produce one more exalted than himself rather than one similar to himself. An example is firewood, which is not burnt to produce ash, but to create flames as ash is inferior to firewood. This is concerning exalted creations. However, other ordinary ones which reproduce through different means or produce effects create offspring which are weaker than them. On the contrary, as previously mentioned, when exalted creations produce, those produced (the second generation) are more superior and powerful than the first generation.
         Ostad Mousavi, too agrees with this view and believes as the system of the world is changing and nearing perfection, if we, who claim to be trying to attain perfection, do not create a generation which is more superior to us, our actions are in vain.
         Ostad believes we have to implement this issue ourselves. He says to his disciples, “I, who teach philosophy, do not claim to be virtuous. However, if I so claimed, you, my students, would have to be better than me. If not, I would have done injustice to you since it is not right for a superior to produce an inferior. Truly, if a superior’s intention is to leave the imperfect as they are, why should he waste their time and notify them of their scientific shortcomings?  
         Esteemed researcher, Ostad Mousavi describes the method one of his teachers called Sheikh Mohammad Hassan Modarres (may Allah exalt him) used in teaching as follows: He would not officially take written tests from the students but would test them while teaching. In other words, while teaching, he would suddenly lift his head and ask one of the students a question regarding the subject he was teaching. If the student answered the question correctly, he would give him two coins, if the answer given was not complete, he would give the student one coin, and if the answer was incorrect, he would become angry and not look at that student for three days. After three days when he would start looking at the student, he would tell him that the reason why he did not look at him during those three days was that he wanted a superior effect to be produced by the student. This is in fact what a true teacher should do in helping his students attain perfection.
         Here Ostad tells his disciples, “I earnestly request of you to respect the value of philosophy and to drive away from yourselves those characteristics people had during the period of paganism. I am no one great myself; whatever I said was from Mulla Sadra’s book, Asfar or from Mulla Muhsin’s Tafsir. You, who have attended our classes for 5-6 years, your manners and characteristics should not be same as the first year. For example, if you screamed when your child bothered you or if you broke things when someone would attack you and if you are still the same, then what have you gained? We truly want you to be better than us, to be exalted, a jewel, a source of light, of reality and not a person unaware of his/her own identity.
         What we say is only because we want our students to be beautiful in all aspects. We want you to be brought up in a way that each of you becomes an exalted jewel in the view of Imam Zaman.
         Verily, the job of an exalted is to create one more exalted.
         This has always been Ostad Mousavi’s ultimate goal.

Compiled by one of Ostad’s disciples