Ali Shariati facts for kids

"Shariati" redirects here. For other uses, see Shariati (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Ali Shariati
علی شریعتی
Shariati in 1972
Born	Ali Shariati Mazinani (1933-11-23)23 November 1933 Kahak, Sabzevar, Imperial State of Persia
Died	18 June 1977(1977-06-18) (aged 43) Southampton, United Kingdom
Resting place	Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque, Damascus, Syria
Nationality	Iranian
Alma mater	Ferdowsi University of Mashhad University of Paris (Ph.D)
Occupation	Sociologist, Historian
Years active	1952–1975
Employer	Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
Organization	Hosseiniye Ershad
Political party	Freedom Movement of Iran
Spouse(s)	Pouran Shariat Razavi
Children	4

Ali Shariati Mazinani (Persian: علی شریعتی مزینانی, 23 November 1933 – 18 June 1977) was an important Iranian thinker and revolutionary. He studied how religion affects society. Many people consider him one of the most important Iranian thinkers of the 1900s. He was even called the "ideologue of the Iranian Revolution", meaning he helped shape its ideas. However, his specific ideas did not become the main basis for the Islamic Republic that was formed later.

Biography
Views and Popularity
Shariati and Socialism
- Sociology and Knowledge
Modern Problems
Legacy
Images for kids
See Also

Biography

Ali Shariati was born in 1933 in a small town called Mazinan, near Sabzevar in northeastern Iran. His family had many religious scholars. His father, Mohammad-Taqi, was a teacher and a respected Islamic scholar. In 1947, his father started a center in Mashhad to share Islamic truths. This center became involved in the movement to take control of Iran's oil industry in the 1950s.

When Shariati attended Teacher's Training College in Mashhad, he met young people from poorer families. This made him see the poverty and difficulties many Iranians faced. At the same time, he learned about many ideas from Western thinkers in philosophy and politics. He tried to use traditional Islamic ideas, combined with modern sociology and philosophy, to understand and solve problems in Muslim societies. His early writings showed his wide range of interests and his knowledge of modern thinkers like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Iqbal.

In 1952, Shariati became a high-school teacher and started the Islamic Students' Association. He was arrested after a protest. In 1953, when the Iranian government was overthrown, he joined the National Front, a political group. He earned his first university degree from the University of Mashhad in 1955. In 1957, he was arrested again with other members of the National Resistance Movement.

Shariati later received a scholarship to study in France at the University of Paris. He earned his PhD in Persian language in 1964. While in Paris, he worked with the Algerian National Liberation Front, a group fighting for Algeria's independence. He also read and translated works by Frantz Fanon, a writer who influenced revolutionary ideas. Shariati helped introduce Fanon's ideas to Iranian revolutionaries living abroad. He was arrested in Paris in 1961 during a protest.

In the same year, he helped start the Freedom Movement of Iran abroad with other Iranians like Ebrahim Yazdi and Mostafa Chamran. In 1962, he continued studying sociology and the history of religions in Paris. He learned from famous scholars like Louis Massignon and Georges Gurvitch. He also met the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and helped publish a book called Gharbzadegi (meaning "Westoxication") in Iran.

Shariati returned to Iran in 1964. He was arrested and put in prison for his political activities in France. He was released after a few weeks and began teaching at the University of Mashhad.

Later, Shariati moved to Tehran and started giving lectures at the Hosseiniye Ershad Institute. His lectures became very popular among students and people from all parts of society. As more people became interested in his ideas, the government became concerned. He was arrested again, along with many of his students. After 18 months in solitary confinement, he was released on 20 March 1975, due to public pressure and international protests.

Shariati was allowed to leave Iran for England. He died suddenly three weeks later in a hospital in Southampton. Some reports say he died of a heart attack. He is buried in Damascus, Syria, near the tomb of Sayyidah Zaynab, a granddaughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Many Iranian pilgrims visit his tomb.

Views and Popularity

Shariati wanted to bring back the revolutionary spirit of Shiism. He believed that his way of understanding Shiism, which he called "red Shiism," encouraged people to bring about change in the world and promised a better life after death. He saw this as different from "black Shiism," which he felt was less revolutionary. His ideas have been compared to "Liberation Theology," a movement in South America that combined religious faith with social justice.

Shariati was an important Islamic thinker who believed a good society should follow Islamic values. He thought the government's role was to guide society in the best way, not just manage it. He felt that the most knowledgeable religious scholars, called the Ulema, should lead society. This is because they best understood how to use Islamic values, based on the teachings of prophets and the 12 Shia Twelver Imams, to help people reach their highest potential. He believed this guidance was about helping people grow, not just fulfilling their desires like in Western societies.

However, Shariati also criticized some religious leaders. He even defended Marxists at times. He said that mosques and revolutionary preachers should work for the poor, not for the rich. He felt that some religious scholars were too focused on wealth and traditional rules, serving capitalism instead of the people.

Shariati's ideas were greatly shaped by the "Third Worldism" he learned about in Paris. This idea suggested that class struggles and revolutions could create a fair society without social classes. He also focused on "decolonization," which meant freeing cultures from foreign influence. He took the idea of Gharbzadegi (Westoxication) from Jalal Al-e Ahmad and made it very popular.

He tried to connect these ideas with important symbols in Shiism that Iranians could understand. Shariati believed that Shia Muslims should not just wait for the return of the 12th Imam. Instead, they should actively work for social justice and be ready to become martyrs if needed. He famously said, "every day is Ashoura, every place is the Karbala," meaning that the spirit of sacrifice for justice should always be present.

Unlike some thinkers, Shariati believed that people did not have to abandon religion to fight against imperialism. He felt that people could fight imperialism by rediscovering their own cultural identity, which for some countries was deeply connected to their religious beliefs. Shariati called this "returning to ourselves."

Asef Bayat, a social thinker who witnessed the Iranian revolution in 1979, noted Shariati's huge influence. Shariati was seen as an "unparalleled revolutionary intellectual." His pictures were everywhere during protests, and people chanted his nickname, "mo'allem-e enqilab" (revolutionary mentor). His books and tapes were widely available before the revolution. Bayat recalled that even his own father, who could barely read, owned Shariati's works.

Shariati and Socialism

Shariati's interest in socialism grew when he translated a book called Abu Zarr: The God-Worshipping Socialist. This book described Abu Dhar as the first socialist. Shariati's father said that his son believed Abu Dhar's ideas were very important. Some even called Shariati the modern-day Abu Dhar in Iran.

Shariati strongly believed in the need for revolutionary action. He thought that Marxism could not give the Third World the ideas it needed to become free. He argued that Islam is naturally a revolutionary way of thinking. Therefore, Islam could be an ideology for the modern world.

According to Shariati, the main cause of human problems throughout history was the start of private ownership. He also believed that the invention of machines was the second most important change for humans. He saw private ownership and machines as part of a historical period where a few people controlled many. Before this, he believed, there was a time of collective ownership where resources were shared. Shariati also looked at how religion and modern ideas related to private ownership and machines.

Sociology and Knowledge

Shariati believed that religious knowledge is shaped by society, culture, and history. He focused on religion in the real world and how society creates meaning. As a sociologist, he saw religion as something that changed over time. He was interested in the idea of a unified society and history, rather than just the religious truth of the Quran or prophets.

He accepted the logical thinking of the West, calling its deeper ideas "civilization" and its outward appearances "renewal." He thought people should accept civilization but be careful of just imitating "renewal." He also highly valued empirical science and knowledge, appreciating scientific methods. He criticized traditional ways of thinking for ignoring science. However, he also criticized modern thinkers who confused Western political ideas with true scientific knowledge.

Shariati believed that reason is a clear source of knowledge. He suggested using reason as a starting point to understand other sources like the Quran, ḥadīth (sayings of the Prophet), sīra (Prophet's life story), and ijmāʿ (consensus). He did not see consensus as a main source for understanding religion. He emphasized the importance of knowledge, time, and new ways of thinking when studying religious texts.

Shariati, influenced by Georges Gurvitch, believed there was no single way to analyze social issues or historical events. He thought that religion and society were not always united, but that there were many different religions and societies. He highlighted the active role of scholars in human sciences during research. He believed that a scholar's values could influence their research conclusions. He also felt it was not necessary to apply the findings of Western scholars directly to Iranian society.

He criticized Western political ideas like nationalism, liberalism, and Marxism. He argued that these ideas did not always fit Iranian society. Shariati believed that democracy, as understood in the West, was not always compatible with revolutionary progress. He criticized the blind copying of Western ideas and their lack of focus on spirituality. He felt these ideas stopped humans from reaching higher goals. He strongly criticized capitalism but admired socialism because he thought it could help humanity evolve and free people from being too focused on material things. However, he also criticized Karl Marx, believing that Marx's idea of the economy as the main foundation of human society was wrong. Shariati believed that humans, not the economy, were the true foundation of society.

Modern Problems

Shariati believed that human history has two main stages. The first stage was about shared ownership, where everyone had access to resources, and there was social equality and spiritual unity. The second stage, which is our current time, began with private ownership. In this stage, a few people control many. Different forms of private ownership throughout history include slavery, serfdom, feudalism, and capitalism.

According to Shariati, private ownership is the main cause of many modern problems. It changes human brotherhood and love into dishonesty, hatred, exploitation, colonization, and violence. This division caused by private control has appeared in different ways throughout history, from slave economies in ancient times to capitalist societies today. Shariati saw "machinism," or relying heavily on machines, as the latest stage of private ownership. He believed that since the 1800s, humans have faced many worries and problems because of machines.

Legacy

Many people have different views about Ali Shariati and his ideas. Some support him strongly, while others disagree. Ali Khamenei, a prominent Iranian leader, saw Shariati as a pioneer who explained Islamic teachings in a way that fit his generation. Khamenei believed Shariati had both good and bad qualities. He also thought it was unfair to say that Shariati strongly disagreed with religious leaders (Mullahs). Khamenei noted that one of Shariati's strengths was his ability to explain his ideas in simple language that young people could understand. Shariati was somewhat supportive of Mullahs in Iran.

Some scholars, like Elizabeth F. Thompson, see similarities between Shariati's role in the Islamic revolution in Iran and Sayyid Qutb's role in Egypt. Both helped prepare the way for revolutions in their countries and wanted Islamic culture to be dominant. Both believed in revolutionary changes to existing values and norms. They saw Islamism as a "third way" between the ideas of America and the Soviet Union. However, there were also differences; Shariati was considered more of a leftist, while Qutb was more conservative.

According to Mahmoud Taleghani, Ali Shariati was a thinker who created a "school" of thought for revolution. This school guided young people towards revolutionary action. Beheshti also believed that Shariati's work was very important for the Islamic revolution.

Hamid Enayat believed that Shariati was not just a theorist but also a supporter of strong Islamic ideas. Enayat considered Shariati to be a founder of Islamic socialism and one of the most loved and popular figures in Islamic radicalism and socialism.

Hamid Algar stated that Shariati was the most important ideologue, or idea-maker, of the Islamic revolution.