Quick Facts
Biography
Sheikh Nasrallah Shah-Abadi Persian: شیخ نصرالله شاه آبادی, (24 September 1930 – 12 March 2018) was an Iranian Ayatollah. He represented the people of Tehran Province in the Fifth term of the Assembly of Experts.
Early life and education
Nasrallah was born on 24 September 1930 in Qom to a religious family. His father, Mohammd Ali Shah-Abadi was a Grand Ayatollah (Marja').
Nasrallah attended Tawfiq Elementary School in Tehran for his primary education, then in 1941 he pursued his Religious education in Tehran. While in Tehran he was taught by several people, such as Mirza Mahdi Ashtiani and others. After the death of his father in 1949, he left Tehran for Qom to pursue his Islamic Studies in Qom Seminary. While in Qom he was taught by many big scholars such as Hossein Borujerdi, Mohammad Ali Araki, and others. Eventually, in 1952, he went to Najaf to attend the Hawza Najaf for advanced Islamic Studies (Darse Kharej). While there, he gained Ijtihad when he was around 30, and mastered several subjects such as Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), Islamic philosophy, Tafsir (Interpretation of Quran), and others. He benefited from several big scholars in Najaf such as Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, Muhsin al-Hakim and others. He was there when Ruhollah Khomeini arrived, and with his brother Ruhollah Shah-Abadi, they attended his classes in Najaf.
Teachers
Here is a list of some of the teachers of Nasrallah Shah-Abadi.
- Mirza Mahdi Ashtiani
- Mirza Abolhassan Sha'rani
- Haj Agha Mostafa Masjid Jamei
- Seyed Sadr al-Din Razavi Qomi
- Seyed Mohammad Ali Lavasani
- Sheikh Hassan Zahir al-Dini
- Sheikh Hossein Kani
- Seyed Hassan Ahmadi Alunabadi
- Mirza Abolfazl Najmabadi
- Mirza Hedayatullah Vahid Golpayegani
- Sheikh Abbas Abbas Tehrani
- Seyed Mohammad Kazem Assar
- Hossein Borujerdi
- Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat Kooh Kamari
- Seyed Mohammad Taqi Khonsari
- Sheikh Abbas Ali Shahroudi
- Seyed Ali Beheshti
- Seyed Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei
- Seyed Muhsin al-Hakim
- Sheikh Hossein al-Hilli
- Seyed Abd al-Hadi al-Shirazi
- Seyed Ruhollah Khomeini
Life after education
In 1970, with the request of Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, he travelled to Pakistan to help establish teaching seminaries and work with the Shia in Pakistan. However, after only spending several months there, he had gotten Malaria and went to Iran to receive treatment. After receiving treatment in Iran, he was put on a travel-ban by the Pahlavi regime and was not allowed to travel back to Pakistan, nor back to Najaf. While in Iran, he would spend his time in Tehran and Qom offering prayers and teaching in seminaries. Leading up to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he was active and protested against the Shah. After the revolution, he remained dedicated to teaching Islam, as well as actively engaging in charity work around Iran.
He was voted by the people of Tehran Province in the 2016 Iranian Assembly of Experts election to represent them in the Assembly of Experts. He held that position until his death.
Death
On 16 February 2018 Nasrallah was admitted to Baghiyyatollah al-Azam Military Hospital due to diabetic ulcers, as well as clogged arteries in his legs which led to respiratory arrest. He died on 12 March 2018 while in hospital. He was buried in Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom; his funeral prayers were led by Mousa Shubairi Zanjani. Ali Khamenei also sent a letter of condolence on his passing to his family.
