On the Culture of Mashdi-gari as a Lived Moral Practice

The present book is a work of dual purpose. In other words, this volume—crafted as a memorial to Master Mohammad—stands in practice as a vivid exemplar of the culture of Mashdi-gari in contemporary Iran.
Master Mohammad Heydarzadeh, who at the age of eleven lost his father and stepped into the world of heavy-machinery mechanics, in a short span not only rose to become the undisputed authority in his craft across the province—such that German firms invited him to collaborate in Germany—but also attained moral heights that seem almost unattainable.
Showing respect to the snakes and ants in his garden, advising street porters on how to fix their carts, standing surety for strangers at banks, placing his own ATM card at the disposal of the needy, waiving fees for hard-up truckers, and—above all—supplying spare parts free of charge to customers who had hit a financial dead end: these are but a fraction of the chivalry (Mashdi-gari) that filled the brief yet bountiful life of Master Mohammad.
From another angle, by sketching Master Mohammad’s relationships—with family, acquaintances, colleagues, and the wider society—all rooted in his mashdi culture, the book effectively offers a panorama of Mashdi-gari in today’s Iran, capturing countless subtle details of that bond.