Tribute to Professor Sibghatullah Mojaddedi: A Legacy of Leadership, Faith, and National Service

Speech at the Funeral Ceremony of Professor Sibghatullah Mojaddedi

Keypoints:

• National Loss & Mourning: Passing of a major Afghan religious and political leader.
• Spiritual Legacy: Strong influence in Sufi orders and Islamic scholarship.
• Resistance Leadership: Early and prominent role in anti-occupation struggle.
• Political Leadership: First President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan.
• State Building Role: Contribution to post-conflict governance and Bonn process.
• Constitutional Contribution: Key participant in Loya Jirgas and constitution-making.
• National Unity: Consistent advocacy for reconciliation and consensus.
• Lifetime Service: Long dedication to serving Afghanistan in multiple roles.

Chaharchinar Palace

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return).

The honorable Mojaddedi family, high-ranking officials of the state, fellow brothers-in-arms of His Eminence Hazrat Sahib, His Excellency Sayyaf Sahib, Dr. Abdullah, all attendees of this gathering, and most specifically, the great nation of Afghanistan; today is a day in which we have lost one of the most prominent personalities in the contemporary history of Afghanistan.

This grief is not the grief of the Mojaddedi family alone; it is the grief of the entire nation, of all the Mujahideen of Afghanistan, and specifically of the Sufi orders, in which Hazrat Sahib played an immense role. From Hazrat Mujaddid Alf Thani to this day, the Naqshbandiyya-Mojaddediya order—alongside the Qadiriyya, Chishtiyya, and Suhrawardiyya orders—has continuously played a vital role in the contemporary history of Afghanistan. I offer my profound condolences to everyone.

A Lifetime of Academic and Political Leadership

Hazrat Sahib possessed exceptionally unique characteristics. Throughout his life, he was first and foremost our teacher; from his early academic days until his final moments, he remained a teacher to all the people of Afghanistan. One of my earliest memories from my time at the Lycée Istiqlal is how rumors would spread across the school that Hazrat Sahib had arrived, and we would all rush after him just to benefit from his presence.

Secondly, he was among the very first figures—if not the absolute first—to clearly foresee the threat posed by the Soviet Union and the impractical nature of the relations that were being established back then. He critiqued the deviations from Afghanistan’s traditional policy of neutrality, and as a result, he spent years in prison for his core convictions. Later, when the coup d'état and subsequent invasion occurred, he stood at the forefront of declaring our righteous Jihad, with all our prominent leaders by his side. He consistently played a singular role as the first President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan.

His distinguishing characteristic was that he handed over political power to his successor, the martyred Ustad Rabbani, without a single moment of hesitation, choosing instead to always foster beneficial progress through a consultative council framework.

Architect of Institutional Consensus

In the post-Bonn transition process, he played a thoroughly foundational role. His first visible legacy in that era was his close collaboration with His Excellency Karzai Sahib, serving as a trusted confidant and advisor whose counsel was always sound. He consistently provided constructive perspectives both to His Excellency Karzai Sahib and to myself, as a servant of the nation, as well as to my colleagues Dr. Abdullah and Ustad Danesh.

During the historic Constitutional Loya Jirga, he played a unifying role without which our national charter would not be complete today. He was instrumental in building that historic consensus alongside figures like Mr. Qane, Ustad Sayyaf, and Khalili Sahib. Furthermore, during various Consultative Loya Jirgas, he consistently synthesized the pulse and true voice of the nation. He went on to serve with distinction as the Speaker of the Meshrano Jirga (Senate), a Senator, and the Chairman of the Independent Commission for the Resolution of Conflicts. 

The core truth is that from the moment Hazrat Sahib gained awareness of the world around him, he was in service to this nation. Until his final days—when Dr. Abdullah and I jointly visited him—his counsel remained steadfastly focused on unity, accord, and national harmony.

A Nation in Mourning

In the realm of spiritual mysticism, he perpetually represented the great Naqshbandi-Mojaddedi lineage. Today, while we can enumerate his many contributions across various spheres of society, the fundamental reality remains simple: the nation of Afghanistan is in deep mourning today. It is for this reason that our national flag is flying at half-mast and a national holiday has been declared.

We pray that our collective supplications are accepted by divine mercy, and that Hazrat Sahib is granted a place in the highest echelons of Paradise (Jannat al-Firdous). To his children and the Mojaddedi family, I extend my heartfelt condolences and deepest empathy. Please always know that your grief is shared entirely by the state and the people of Afghanistan.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.