Shahidi ( fa, شهیدی) is a common surname in
Iran,
Afghanistan and
Tajikistan. Like the given name
Shahid, it is a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
theophoric name, from ''
Aš-Šāhid'' (), one of the 99
names of God in the Qur'an. It is derived from ''šāhid '', the
Arabic word for "
witness" or "martyr".
Shahidis of Iran
Sadat Shahidi Mashhad
The Shahidi family of
Khorasan
Khorasan may refer to:
* Greater Khorasan, a historical region which lies mostly in modern-day northern/northwestern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
* Khorasan Province, a pre-2004 province of Ira ...
are a distinguished and influential Sayyid family that dominated the prominent religious positions in
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
for approximately 150 years, and thereby deeply influenced the contemporary history of Iran. They are descended from Ayatollah
Mirza Mohammad Mehdi Khorasani ( fa, آيت الله میرزا محمد مهدی حسينی اصفهانی خراسانی شهید رابع), who traced his lineage to
Imam Jafar Sadeq through
Shah Nematollah Vali
Shāh Nimatullāh or Shāh Ni'matullāh Wali, ( fa, شاه نعمتالله ولی ''Shāh Ne'matullāh-i Valī''), also spelled as ''Ne'matollah'' and ''Ni'matallah'' was the spiritual leader or Qutb of the Ni'matullah Order in Iran from th ...
. In 1803, Mirza Mehdi became the fourth enumerated martyr (shahid) of Shia Islam when he was killed by (or at the direction of) Nader Mirza Afshar because Nader Mirza mistakenly blamed Mirza Mehdi for surrendering the city of Mashhad to the Qajars. As such, Mirza Mehdi's descendants became known as the Shahidi family. Mirza Mehdi was one of the most distinguished clerics of his time, teaching theology, Islamic jurisprudence, philosophical sciences, and mathematics. He was also the Custodian of the Shrine of Imam Reza and the Friday prayer leader. Currently, Hojjatoleslam Ahmad Alamolhoda (Sadat Shahidi) is the Friday Prayer leader in Mashhad and is also that city's representative in the Iranian Assembly of Experts. In 1927, when family names were chosen in Mashhad, some of Mirza Mehdi's descendants chose a name that contained Shahidi (e.g. Aleshahidi, Shahidi, Ghavam Shahidi, Nezam Shahidi, Taher Shahidi, Imen Shahidi, Vosough Shahidi, Davoud Shahidi or Emami Shahidi). However, other descendants chose different last names (e.g. Khorasani, Habibollahi, Habib, Alamolhoda, Fayyaz or Majidi).
Sadat Shahidi in Bafq (Bafgh) City of Yazd
Shahidi is the surname of descendants of the martyr Seyed Amin, known as ASeyed Ahmad Shahidi, a religious cleric born c. 1820 and killed by
Qajar government forces for defense of human rights in
Bafq city of
Yazd province of Iran. This event occurred in the major Mosque of
Bafq city about 1880.
He is buried in the main mosque of
Bafq city, and his biography is inscribed in the entrance porch of the mosque.
He was of
Sadat descent.
[''Nojoum TaYebeh'', 2016 , Seyed Ali Tabatabaii, Cleric Historian, Bafq City of Yazd Province, IRAN]
more information in: The Greeting Meeting for Introduction of ''Nojoum Tayebeh'' book unveiling
available a
www.bafghkhabar.ir
10, Jan, 2015. After this event, his descendants changed their surname from Amin to Shahidi.
Notable people with this surname
*
Abdolvahaab Shahidi
Abdolvahab Shahidi ( fa, عبدالوهاب شهيدی; 23 September 1922 – 10 May 2021) was an Iranian barbat player, singer and composer in the classical style. He is noted as one of the contemporary pioneers of Persian music Persian music m ...
(1922–2021), Iranian singer and musician
*
John Shahidi, Kurdish-American businessman
*
Burhan Shahidi (1894–1989), Chinese Tatar politician, Governor of Xinjiang
*
Freydoon Shahidi (born 1947), Iranian mathematician
*
Ghavam Shahidi, Iranian-American
*
Jafar Shahidi (1919–2008), Iranian scholar and historian of Islam
*
Mohammad-Ali Shahidi, Iranian politician
*
Tolib Shahidi (born 1946), Tajik composer
*
Yara Shahidi (born 2000), American actress
*
Ziyodullo Shahidi (1914–1985), Tajik musician
References
{{surname
Iranian-language surnames