By Jabulani Charlie | Born on 25 August 1934 in the Rafsanjan City of Iran, Hashemi Rafsanjani began to study Islamic theology at the Qum Seminary at the age of 14, where he met and became acquainted with the late Imam Khomeini (RA), the founder of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, and became a companion of his.

He pursued his studies under such great Islamic scholars as Ayatollah Boroujerdi, Ayatollah Golpaygani, and Allameh Tabatabaie, among others. Following Imam Khomeini’s exile in 1963, he assumed a prominent role in struggles against the existing despotic monarchical rule, as a result of which he was arrested and imprisoned several times between the years 1963 and 1979.

Being a man of vision, he wrote a book on Amir Kabir – the Iranianian prime minister of Naser al-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty, whose vision was to make Iran a developed country – as well as a 20 volume exegesis on the Holy Qur’an during his imprisonment from 1976 to 1979.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in February 1979, Hashemi Rafsanjani became the member of the Council of Islamic Revolution and came to be one of the closest persons to Imam Khomeini.
During the Iraqi imposed war on Iran, Rafsanjani represented the late Imam Khomeini at the Defense High Council and served as the deputy of Iran’s Joint Chief of Staff until the end of the war.

Rafsanjani also served as the Speaker of Iran’s Islamic Parliament (Majlis) from 1980 to 1989 after being elected as the representative of the people of Tehran to the parliament. In 1989 and following the demise of Imam Khomeini and his replacement by the current Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was then the president elect, assumed the office of the president of the Islamic republic of Iran.

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani held the office of the president for two consecutive terms during which period he tried to implement his vision of Iran being a developed country in the following ways:
 Playing a significant role in putting an end to eight years of Iraqi’s imposed war on Iran.
 Reconstruction of the war-devastated economy of Iran.
 Establishment of the Islamic Azad University, with the aim of making higher education to the Iran youths even in the remotest regions of Iran.

 Supporting the oppressed people of Palestine and providing them with support in their struggle against the illegitimate Zionist regime.
After completing his terms as the president, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was appointed as the Chairman of the Expediency Council of the country and held the post till the end.

The other important responsibilities held by Ayatollah Rafsanjani include:
 Member of the Assembly of Experts from 1983 to 2017
 Tehran’s Friday prayer leader from 1981 to 2009
 Chairman of the Assembly of Experts from 2007 to 2011

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani left for his final abode in the evening of Sunday 8 January 2017 after an unexpected and sudden heart attack.

May Allah bless his soul and reward him for the services he rendered during his fruitful lifetime.
Jabulani Charlie
[email protected]