Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Hossein Fakhr Bonab, was born on June 26, 1938, in the city of Bonab, East Azerbaijan Province, into a religious family. After completing preliminary Islamic studies, he entered the Talebieh Seminary in Tabriz and later the Qom Seminary. Following years of study under esteemed scholars and completing advanced courses in Islamic jurisprudence and principles, he returned to his hometown and began preaching the radiant teachings of Islam in the cities of Maragheh and Bonab.
In 1963, he moved to the Azarshahr region, where he tirelessly spread the culture of Islam and the true Shi’a faith in local mosques and villages—especially in Qazi Jahan. For 18 years, he preached in the mosques of Hazrat Abolfazl (AS) and Vali Asr (AJ) in Qazi Jahan, as well as at the local Basij center, guiding and inspiring hearts that were eager for truth.
His eloquent and powerful sermons wpuld expose the hypocrisy of the MEK terrorist group and the enemies of religion. He became a pillar of faith for the revolutionaries following Imam Khomeini. He played a vital role in spreading Imam’s messages and in mobilizing the local population during the Islamic Revolution. After the revolution, as foreign and domestic plots intensified—particularly the crisis sparked by the "People's Mojahedin Party"—he took a firm stance in defense of the Islamic leadership and divine values.
In 1981, Ayatollah Martyr Madani appointed him as the congregational prayer leader at the Bazaar Mosque (now Imam Khomeini Mosque) in Azarshahr, and later as Friday Prayer Leader in the town of Mamaghan. During the Iran-Iraq War, he visited the battlefronts four times, boosting the morale of the Islamic fighters.
On the evening of Thursday, April 17, 1986—coinciding with the 7th of Sha'ban—the terrorist group Mujahedin-e Khalq, in desperation after repeated failures, targeted him by planting a mine beneath the pulpit of the Akhi Jahan Grand Mosque in Azarshahr. At 4:35 p.m., just as this radiant and eloquent preacher was preparing to guide the congregation, the mine exploded. The blast caused severe injuries and severed his right hand—just like his master, Hazrat Abbas (AS).
Witnesses recall that at the moment of the explosion, the cry of "O Messenger of God!" echoed through the walls of the mosque. His bloodied body was rushed to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tabriz, but due to the severity of his wounds, he passed away a few hours later, joining the eternal realm.