Hossein Elahi Ghomshei

Hossein Mohyiddin Elahi Ghomshei was born on January 4, 1940, in Tehran. His father was Mehdi Elahi Ghomshei, a philosopher, mystic, sage, poet, and the famous translator of the Quran, and his mother was Tayyebeh Torbati. He completed his primary and secondary education at Danesh Elementary School and Marvi High School, then continued his studies up to the doctoral level at the Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies of the University of Tehran. Concurrently, he pursued seminary studies under his father and other masters, gaining proficiency in sciences such as ethics, logic, philosophy, theology, jurisprudence, Arabic literature, and Persian literature (with a focus on Rumi, Saadi, Hafez, and Attar).

After completing his studies, he taught mysticism, literature, and aesthetics for many years at the University of Tehran and other higher education institutions. In 1981, he briefly served as the head of the National Library of Iran. In addition to Persian, Elahi Ghomshei is fluent in English, Arabic, and French, and has delivered numerous lectures in Persian and English at universities and cultural centers in Iran and abroad.

His works include selections and commentaries on mystical texts such as Rumi's 'Fihi Ma Fihi,' Attar's 'The Conference of the Birds,' and Shabestari's 'Golshan-e Raz,' a translation of 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran, selected sayings of Shakespeare, the essay collection 'Kimia,' and the series of books '365 Days with...' (Saadi, Rumi, Hafez, the Quran, and English literature). His cultural mission is to acquaint audiences, especially the youth, with the 'transcendent pleasures' derived from beauty, wisdom, and goodness; pleasures he considers heavenly nourishment and food for the soul, believing that neglecting them is the root of many wars and corruptions. Elahi Ghomshei has also been active in painting and calligraphy, and his eloquent speech and captivating allegories have had a widespread impact on his audiences.