(The former Imam of Rostam Abad Mosque of Tehran) He was born in holy city of Qom on 1930 at the time of Reza Khan Kingship era (First Pahlavi king) and whose father was Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad Ali Shah Abadi (the grand teacher of Imam Khomeini)
When Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Shah Abadi immigrated to Tehran after fourteen years residency in Qom, conducted his son, Mahdi, to study in Imamzadeh Yah’yaa School when he was only four years old. After two years, he went to Tofiq School with his two brothers and could finish the primary school when he was twelve years old. He studied the grammar of Arabic language at home at the same time with his studying in school. He entered to Marvi Seminary of Tehran in 1949 and could be allowed to wear clergy dress after four years when he was eighteen years old. He lost his father, Ayatollah Shah Abadi in 1954 and he went to Qom two years after his father’s death but went back to Tehran after a short time to complete his education in high school level. He was arrested and jailed in 1953 when the security conditions of Iran had been a dilemma for government to resolve. This strangulation was created because of 18th of Mordaad military coup event in Iran. He went to Qom again at the same year and continued his education in the seminary of this city by attending the lectures of Ayatollah Meshkini, Ayatollah Sotoudeh, decent Ayatollah Mojahedi and learned manzoumeh and Asfaar from decent Ayatollah Montazeri. He could pass the Sat’h level of seminary in 1955 and started to setudy the higher educational level of seminary by attending the lectures of decent Ayatollah Boroujerdi, Imam Khomeini, Ayatollah Golpayegani and Ayatollah Araki. He says:
‘’ I broke my fasting with a brief food in Ramadan holy month and studied my lessons till morning izan. I never slept during my studying more than four hours in a day even for five minutes more’’
He got marry with the grandchild of decent Mirza Shirazi in 1957 and went to Qom one again with his wife and remained in this city till 1971. His wife says:
‘’ my first words of my husband was his emphasis on my studying and education’’
The influence of Grand Ayatollah Shah Abadi on the thoughts of his son, Imam Khomeini and some of the other principles of the Islamic Revolution is clear. Martyr Shah Abadi’s thoughts were inspired from Imam Khomeini and kept fighting spirit against oppression in his soul to settle and continue his political and social activities against the oppressor Pahlavi rulers by emphasis on the role of clergy caste to introduce the leadership power of the Shiite Muslims to world. He travelled during his education and after completion his studies to many cities to propagate this thought school among people.
His wife says:
‘’ we went to the villages with our children while he selected some places to propagate Islam which were under more authority of Pahlavi Regime against clergies. We occurred to not welcoming of people of some villages. Even in some villages, people didn’t sell bread to us because of regime propagation against clergy caste. That’s why we took some dried bread and cheese while he attempted to behave with people of these villages friendly to attract them to Islam. Especially, his most emphasis were focused on youth and younkers and tried to attract them to Islam by use of social, sportive and educational methods’’
One of the village’s police commander of Gilan State stopped his lecture in Ashoura day and took martyr Shah Abadi to the police station and asked why dont you pray for Shah of Iran among your words?
He answered loudly that I believe to Imam Mahdi (The twelfth Imam of Shiite Muslims) and it is impossible for me. He attempted such for propagation of Islam that people prevented him to go when he was going from their village and invited him to come to their village once again while they were crying. But he never came back to the attracted and awaked village and selected a new village which is thirsty to know about Islam and the Islamic facts.
He joined the followers of Imam Khomeini after start of his public political fighting against Pahlavi regime in 1963. He played an important role in coherence and coordination of the other Islamic Jurists with Imam Khomeini and published the Imam Khomeini’s propagandas against Pahlavi regime with his friends while he described the Imam Khomeini’s thoughts and methods beside of explaining his critical views oppose to the oppressions of the regime by taking lectures in mosques. The state security guard forces (SAVAC) attacked to his home and seized some of his books and cassettes in order to find the anti regime documents. They finally arrested and jailed him one day later for four months. He was called to SAVAC office in 1969 because of his words against the compulsory unveiling issue and regime squandering of the national budget to propagate aristocracy in a mosque of Damavand County.
He came to Tehran after twenty one year’s residency in Qom to participate more in social and political activities and the people of Rostam Abad Village of Tehran invited him to be the Imam of the mosque of this village. This mosque was changed to his main base for political activities and educating of revolutionary forces. His main aim for choose of this mosque instead of the other mosques was the demand of this region and attraction of the liable youth to participate in the religious lectures. He attempted highly to change this mosque as the base for revolutionary forces and publishing the Imam Khomeini’s words and speeches by cassette and announcement to all over the country. He tried to repair the mosque building after evening Salaat like a simple construction worker. We can point to some of his important works in this mosque such as attraction of revolutionary youth, doing some affairs in order to scare some of political prisoners whom were persecuted by SAVAC and etc.
Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati (The former minister of foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran) explains:
‘’ He came to Rostam Abad village in 1973 as Imam of Hama’ah just some months after death of decent Sheikh Mohammad Taqi Rostam Abadi and were looking for a deputy for our decent Imam to play an important role in the process of revolution. By his entrance to Shemiran region and beginning of political and revolutionary activities, he was recohnized as the religious leader of for the east of Shemiran. Creation of board of trustees of the mosque, library establishment and publish of the announcements and propagandas against Pahlavi regime in order to notify people, change this mosque as one of the most important bases of the Islamic Revolution’’
According to the discovered documents of SAVAC, he was invited to the SAVAC office of Shemiran in 1979 to answer their some questions. But he excused and answered if you have any question, please make me proud by coming to my mosque or home’’
His vast political activities in baneh County made SAVAC scared of probably rebellion of people in this region. That’s why they ceased his exile and sent him back to Tehran after six months in 1978. After coming back to Tehran, he changed his fighting manner to a superficial model and emphasised on the basical programs of Imam Khomeini and fully accordance with him in execution of the revolutionary programs against Pahlavi regime in appear. The volume of published announcements of Imam Khomeini by him was much increased while he talked and took lectures in public places clearly against Shah and Pahlavi Regime. He was the member of the Jame’e Rohaniat-e-Mobarez party.
He was arrested for the fourth time in 1978 and jailed. The jail officials transferred him to public section from single cell and finally were released from the jail in November of 1978. He was arrested once again just twelve days later after his freedom from the jail and this was jailed in the Baq-e-Shah Jail for two days. Then he coordinated in the welcome committee for coming back of Imam Khomeini from exile and coordinated in disarmament of the police stations and garrisons and creation of popular groups for settlement and security in 10th Feb 1979.
Martyr Shah Abadi joined the Central Council of the Islamic Revolution Committee of Iran and attempted to empower this revolutionary institute. He was one of the main founders of the Jame’e Rohaniat-e-Mobarez party since 1978 and the secretary of this party branch in Shemiran. The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei says:
‘’ he was an exclusive revolutionary man. I never remember to see him bored of hard working during the years of our friendship’’
Sheikh Fathullah Shahab Shemirani says also:
‘’ when we had meeting till late time of night, I told him it is too late and i have to go to rest but he was preparing himself for going to the committee office from the mosque to start his work’’
Martyr Shah Abadi emphasised on coherence between the political forces of the revolution as a family in the parliament and the executive institutions. For example, when the various parties from a wing introduced their candidates for delegation in the first election of the Islamic Parliament of Iran, martyr Shah Abadi tried to unite the Islamic parties and had some meetings as the delegate of the Jame’e rohaniat-e-Mobarez with Ayatollah Khamenei (the present supreme leader of Iran) to create political coalition between two parties and introduction some faithful and responsible recommended candidates to enter the legislature branch. He enetered to the first parliament of Iran as the delegate of the Tehran people by obtaining more than 700000 votes and his services in judicial committee of the parliament were worthy. He was appointed as the delegate of Imam Khomeini in the Foundation of Iranian Oppressed to supervise on quality of works in this institute. But he never gave up the Rostam Abad mosque and there was still his main base for social and political activities while his responsibilities were increased. Working in Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization of Shemiran was one his servicings. Martyr Shah Abadi was elected as the delegate of Tehran people in the Parliament with maximum votes (1200000 votes).
He had emphasised on presence in the frontiers during the Iran-Iraq war and attended the frontiers regularly. In the last travel to the war zones of Ahwaz in 25th April 1984 and said in his public lecture that if martyrdom can keep our revolution safe, if our martyrdom could destroy the enemy and if our martyrdom could announce our Islamic thought to the world, we are ready for martyrdom’’
Finally he was killed by the exploded missile pieces of Iraqi forces when he had gone to see the destroyed Iraqi cargo plane by the air base of Majnoun Island and raised his desire which was nothing except martyrdom.
The Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei says:
‘’ this grand scholar and indefatigable fighter got the reward of many years Jihad in for God and his attempts in order to settle the Islamic Government by such proudly death which causes to associate with the God’s saints in heaven’’
Imam Khomeini’s historical message due to martyrdom of Ayatollah Shah Abadi:
I congratulate and commiserate the martyrdom of martyr Shah Abadi, my grand teacher’s son to Imam Mahdi (the twelfth Imam of Shiite Muslims)
Congratulate to Imam Mahdi because of having such honest soldiers who sacrifice their life in the God’s way and dear Islam. They cause to clergy caste pride and the noble people of Iran. He was the brave son of our grand Sheikh and teacher Ayatollah Shah Abadi that I’m owe to him because of his attempts to give the spiritual life to us and I’ll never be able to be thankful enough to him. I ask God to bless him and the other martyrs of Islam beside of him and patience for his family’’