TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- Renowned Islamic scholar Ayatollah Muhammad Danesh Zadeh Qomi (Momen) has passed away at the age of 81 after a long battle with respiratory problems.
Ayatollah Momen passed away in hospital in Tehran on Thursday after spending the past two months battling with brain hemorrhage and respiratory problems.
An influential member of the Guardian Council, he was first appointed to the position by late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in 1984 and continued to serve in that capacity after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei extended his post in 2014.
The late cleric also served as a member of the Assembly of Experts, including as its deputy head from 2008 to 2011.
Before attaining Ijtihad, he was a pupil of such prominent Islamic scholars as Imam Khomeini, Allameh Tabatabai, Ayatollah Meshkini and many others in Qom.
Ayatollah Momen had a long record of struggle against the tyranny of the U.S.-backed Pahlavi regime before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, living in exile for many years.
The cleric also served as the head of the Qom seminary and was a member of other important organizations, including the Constitution Review Council, the Supreme Judiciary Council and the Supreme Policy-making Council of the Qom Seminary, among others.
Ayatollah Khamenei issued a statement on Friday, hailing the deceased cleric and describing his passing as a loss for the Qom seminary.
"His scientific standing and training of outstanding students along with his piety and sincerity as well as his social and revolutionary loyalty and commitment had made him a comprehensive personality,” the Leader said.
"His record of struggle goes back to before the revolution and his services have continued all through the 40 years (after the revolution). Moreover, he has been one of the pillars of the esteemed Guardian Council during intermittent and consecutive terms,” he added.