The Final Whisper of Devotion Shaheedah Nasrin Afzal: A Life of Service, A Death in Supplication
From the villages of Shiraz to the streets of Mahabad, she walked with prayer on her lips and courage in her heart — until the night her whispered du’a met martyrdom.
In the silent stillness of a Shirazi night, a bullet found a woman whose entire life had been a prayer.
Born in 1959 in Shiraz, Nasrin Afzal was raised with the love of the Ahl al-Bayt flowing through her veins. Even as a young girl, her modesty, chastity, and deep spiritual commitment stood out. In school, she challenged injustice and tyranny, confronting the Shah’s regime with quiet defiance. Pursued once by security forces, she refused to abandon the truth.
But her legacy was not built in protest alone. It was built in service.
As part of the Constructional Jihad movement, she travelled to impoverished villages, leading development projects, teaching students, and igniting hope in forgotten corners of the country. Whether it was distributing ration coupons at the governor’s office late into the night or holding teacher gatherings under threat from anti-revolutionary forces, Nasrin Afzal worked without rest — without complaint.
Her soft words carried weight. Her prayers touched hearts. Kurdish women were drawn to her warmth, and many organizations sought her help. Yet she remained grounded — focused not on status, but on service to God.
Those closest to her remember her lips always moving with the du’a of Imam Ali (a):
“O Allah, my heart is veiled, and my soul flawed.”
Her deep connection with the Ahl al-Bayt (as) shaped every part of her life. She organised gatherings of remembrance, offered guidance to fellow women in the Basij, and became a pillar of missionary work in western Iran. The head of the Women’s Basij of the Ali ibn Abi Talib Corps described her as “a martyr who left behind a profound cultural and spiritual legacy.”
Her final night was marked by the same devotion that had defined her entire life. Burning with fever, too ill to move, she insisted on attending a Du’a Tawassul gathering. Her husband pleaded with her to rest — but her heart had already made the journey. That night, friends recall, she was more moved than ever before. As the car pulled away after the gathering, enemy bullets struck.
It was 1 July 1982, in the city of Mahabad.
A heart full of love.
A voice raised in prayer.
A martyr, just as she had wished.
Shaheedah Nasrin Afzal was laid to rest in Golzar-e Shohada, Shiraz — but her legacy continues to whisper, in every gathering of du’a, in every act of quiet defiance, in every woman who stands for her faith.
“Martyrdom is the highest rank a human being can attain. And with their blood, they leave a message for those who continue their path.”