Mohammad Shahcheraghi
{{Short description|Iranian Ayatollah}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Ayatollah Seyed
| office1 = Friday Prayer Leader of Semnan
| caption = Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi in Damghan, 2018.
| name = Mohammad Shahcheraghi
| native_name = آیت الله سید محمد شاهچراغی
| order =
| office = Representative of Supreme Leader
| term_start = 11 January 2003
| term_end = 4 August 2021
| predecessor = Abbas Ali Akhtari
| successor = Morteza Motei
| appointer = Ali Khamenei
| constituency = Semnan Province
| order1 =
| image = File:Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraqi.jpg
| term_end1 = 4 August 2021
| term_start1 = 11 January 2003
| predecessor1 = Abbas Ali Akhtari
| successor1 = Morteza Motei
| appointer1 = Ali Khamenei
| order2 =
| office2 = Member of the Fourth and Fifth terms of Assembly of Experts
| term_start2 = 20 February 2007
| term_end2 = 21 May 2024
| constituency2 = Semnan Province
| predecessor2 = Mohammad Ali Alemi
| successor2 =
| majority3 = 165,485 (61.23%) (fourth)
| majority2 = 224,215 (68.98%) (fifth)
| module = {{Infobox religious biography | embed = yes
| religion = Islam
| name = Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi
| native_name = محمد شاهچراغی
Mohammad Shahcheraghi
| title = Ayatollah
| party =
| teachers =
| Maddhab = Twelver Shia Islam
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1934|06|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Damghan, Imperial State of Iran
| nationality = Iranian
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Qom Hawza
| father = Seyed Hassan Shahcheraghi
| children =
| students =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| founder =
| relatives = Seyed Taher Shahcheraghi {{small|older brother}}{{Cite web|date=2016-05-23|title=Biography of Seyed Taher Shahcheraghi|url=https://beitolhoda.com/زندگی-نامه-مرحوم-سید-طاهر-شاهچراغی/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=beitolhoda.com|language=fa}}
Seyed Masih Shahcheraghi {{small|older brother}}{{Cite web|date=2016-05-23|title=Biography of Seyed Masih Shahcheraghi|url=https://beitolhoda.com/زندگی-نامه-مرحوم-سید-مسیح-شاهچراغی/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=beitolhoda.com|language=fa}}
}}
}}
Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi {{Langx|fa|سید محمد شاهچراغی}}, (born 10 June 1934) is an Iranian Ayatollah. He represented the Supreme Leader of Iran in Semnan province, as well being the Imam of Friday Prayer in Semnan. He was elected by the people of Semnan province to represent them in the Assembly of Experts for two terms.{{Cite web|title=2006 Assembly of Experts Election {{!}} Iran Data Portal|url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/2006-assembly-of-experts-election|access-date=2022-02-14|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=2016 Assembly of Experts Election {{!}} Iran Data Portal|url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/assembly-of-experts-elections/2016-assembly-of-experts-election|access-date=2022-02-14|language=en-US}} He was a member of Assembly of Experts until May 2024.
Early life and education
Mohammad Shahcheraghi was born on 10 June 1934 in Hasanabad, Damghan County to a religious family. His father, Seyed Hassan Shahcheraghi, was a cleric who gave prayers in their local village.{{Cite web|title=Who is Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi?|url=https://www.beytoote.com/religious/bozorgan-din/mohammad2-shahcheraghi1.html|access-date=2022-02-17|website=www.beytoote.com|language=fa}} After finishing school in his hometown, he entered the Islamic seminary in Damghan, where he was taught by Sheikh Mohammad Reza Khodaei. After six years there, he left to Qom to further his Islamic studies in Qom Seminary. It was here he attained Ijtihad, and reached the rank Ayatollah.{{Cite web|date=2016-05-23|title=زندگی نامه آیت الله سید محمد شاهچراغی - Biography of Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Shahcheraghi|url=https://beitolhoda.com/زندگی-نامه-آیت-الله-سید-محمد-شاهچراغی/|access-date=2022-02-17|website=beitolhoda.com|language=fa}}
Teachers
Here are some of Shahcerhaghi's teachers during his times in seminaries.
- Sheikh Mohammad Reza Khodaei
- Sheikh Gholam Hossein Kheiri
- Haj Mirza Agha Alemi
- Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani
- Hossein Borujerdi
- Ruhollah Khomeini
- Morteza Haeri Yazdi
- Seyed Mohammad Mohaghegh Damad
- Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
Politics and views
After the resignation of Abbas Ali Akhtari in 2003, Ali Khamenei chose Shahcheraghi to replace him as the representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in Semnan province.{{Cite web|last=Khamenei|first=Ali|date=2003-01-11|title=Appointment of Shahcheraghi as Representative and Prayer Leader for Semnan|url=https://farsi.khamenei.ir/message-content?id=18710|access-date=2022-02-17|website=khamenei.ir|language=fa}} He was also the Imam of Friday Prayer in Semnan. He held those positions until 2021, where he resigned{{Cite web|date=2021-07-27|title=Khamenei Accepts the resignation of Shahceraghi|url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5267168/رهبر-انقلاب-استعفای-آیت-الله-شاهچراغی-را-پذیرفتند|access-date=2022-02-17|website=خبرگزاری مهر {{!}} اخبار ایران و جهان {{!}} Mehr News Agency|language=fa}} and was replaced by Morteza Motei by Ali Khamenei.{{Cite web|last=Khamenei|first=Ali|date=2021-08-04|title=Appointment of Morteza Motei to represent Supreme Leader|url=https://farsi.khamenei.ir/message-content?id=48419|access-date=2022-02-17|website=khamenei.ir|language=fa}} He was elected by the people of Semnan province to represent them in the 2006 and 2016 elections for the Assembly of Experts. He currently retains that position.
He has spoken out about the water issues in Semnan,{{Cite web|date=2021-07-03|title=Addressing water issues in Semnan|url=https://www.irna.ir/news/84391831/امام-جمعه-سمنان-تامین-آب-مشکل-معیشت-و-اشتغال-مردم-استان-را|access-date=2022-02-17|website=irna.ir|language=fa}} and urged the management to fulfil the needs and satisfactions of the people. He also urged the protestors during the 2021 Khuzestan protests to not "fall into the trap of the enemies" i.e. the oppositions of the Iranian Government.{{Cite web|date=2021-07-23|title=Addressing the rights of the people of Khuzestan/The Improper management of the Country's water|url=https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5263961/بی-تدبیری-در-مدیریت-آب-کشور-خواسته-به-حق-خوزستانی-ها-رسیدگی-شود|access-date=2022-02-17|website=خبرگزاری مهر {{!}} اخبار ایران و جهان {{!}} Mehr News Agency|language=fa}}
He has also stated that having good hygiene and abiding by health and safety guidelines is an "Islamic Duty". He urged the people of Semnan to follow the health and safety precautions of COVID-19.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-27|title=Observance of the health guidelines is a Religious Duty|url=https://www.farsnews.ir/semnan/news/13990706000850/%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%E2%80%8C%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D9%88%D8%B8%DB%8C%D9%81%D9%87-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B9%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA|access-date=2022-02-17|website=www.farsnews.ir}}