List of Tehran's Friday Prayer Imams

Friday Prayer Imam of Tehran
امام جمعه تهران
Seal of Tehran
Flag of Tehran
Incumbent
Vacant
since 28 February 2026
TypeImam of Friday Prayer
SeatGrand Mosalla, Tehran
AppointerThe Supreme Leader of Iran
Term lengthLife
(Appointer can appoint and remove from office)
First holderSayyid Abolqasem (first known)
DeputyEphemeral Imams

This article lists Tehran's Friday Prayer Imams that were appointed before and after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It contains both the official and ephemeral Tehran's Friday prayer Imams. The most recent Imam was the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, whose term lasted from his appointment by Ruhollah Khomeini in 1980 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran war.

The appointer of both the official and ephemeral Friday Prayer Imams is the Supreme Leader of Iran, who is currently Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Ali Khamenei. Before the revolution, it was the Shah of Iran who appointed the Friday Prayer Imams. The current Ephemeral Friday Prayer Imams are Ahmad Khatami, Ali Movahedi-Kermani, Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi Fard and Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari.[1]

Imams

Before the Iranian Revolution (before 1979)

No. PortraitImamDateAppointed byNotes
1 Sayyid AbolqasemUnknown – 1908 UnknownDismissed from the position by the Constitutionalists[2]
2 Mohammad Emami1908–1947UnknownDied in office[2]
3 Hassan Emami2 February 1946 – 16 January 1979Mohammad Reza ShahLeft office due to Iranian Revolution[2]
Vacant (16 January 1979 – 11 February 1979)

Islamic Republic of Iran (from 1979)

No. PortraitImamDateAppointed byNotes
Vacant (11 February 1979 – 27 July 1979)
1 Mahmoud Taleghani27 July 1979 – 9 September 1979[3] Ruhollah KhomeiniDied in office
2 Hussein-Ali Montazeri12 September 1979 – 14 January 1980[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniResigned
3 Ali Khamenei14 January 1980 – 28 February 2026Ruhollah KhomeiniAssassinated during office
Vacant (28 February 2026 – present)

Ephemeral Imams

No. PortraitImamDateAppointed byNotes
1 Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili13 February 1981 – 24 December 1993[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniImamate unofficially ended
2 Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani3 July 1981 – 17 July 2009[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniImamate unofficially ended
3 Mohammed Emami-Kashani30 October 1981 – 2 March 2024[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniDied in office
4 Mohammad Mahdi Rabbani Amlashi11 December 1981 – ?[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniHe was Imam for 3 times
5 Mohammad Yazdi1982 – late 1990s[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniResigned
6 Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani11 March 1983 – 19 June 2009[3]Ruhollah KhomeiniHe was Imam for 100 times
7 Ahmad Jannati3 April 1992 – 11 March 2018[3]Ali KhameneiResigned
8 Hassan Taheri Khorramabadi?Ali KhameneiHe was Imam for 8 times[3]
9 Ahmad Khatami18 December 2005 – present[3]Ali Khamenei
10 Kazem Seddiqi1 August 2009 – 3 August 2025[3]Ali KhameneiResigned
11 Ali Movahedi-Kermani2 December 2012 – present[3]Ali Khamenei
12 Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi Fard14 February 2018 – present[3]Ali Khamenei
13 Mohammad-Javad Haj Ali Akbari31 December 2018 – presentAli Khamenei

See also

References

  1. ↑ چه کسانی به نیابت از رهبری نماز جمعه می‌خوانند؟/مروری بر سوابق ۵ امام جمعه موقت تهران (in Persian), Khabar Online, retrieved 24 March 2015
  2. 1 2 3 Mir, Cyrus (December 13, 2011) [December 15, 1998]. "EMĀMĪ, Sayyed ḤASAN". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. Fasc. 4. Vol. VIII. New York City: Bibliotheca Persica Press. p. 393. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ائمه جمعه تهران؛ از حضوری ۳ هفته‌ای تا ۴۲۴ حضور (in Persian), Fars News Agency, archived from the original on 29 September 2017, retrieved 24 March 2015
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