Biography


Introduction

Venerated as a saint during his lifetime, Hadj Nemat had a profound impact on his contemporaries and the region in which he lived. Though he dedicated less than half of his short life to spirituality, the results of his work were such that their effect and vitality have been preserved almost a century later. With the exception of a few external sources, we have to rely mostly on internal references to assemble an account of Hadj Nemat’s forty-nine years in a remote village in western Iran. These internal sources include his own autobiographical accounts and some of the writings of his son Ostad Elahi, as well as direct and indirect testimonials and experiences relayed by family members and those close to him. This section therefore draws upon these sources, which are hagiographic in nature and inspired by the spiritual personality of Hadj Nemat.