Becoming Familiar with Imam Khomeyni

Ayatollah Khamenei
Becoming Familiar with Imam Khomeyni

The First Meeting

It was around the years 1955-1956 when he became familiar with the name “Imam Khomeyni.” There was a group of seminarians from Qom in Mashhad whom Sayyed Ali knew them. Sayyed Mostafa Khomeyni who would go to Mashhad every summer used to get along with this group. “I would hear from them that HajAgha Ruhollah Khomeyni is a great and famous scholar in Qom, attracting the attention of the youth towards himself.”

The first meeting goes back to 1957. That year, Sayyed Ali was heading for Iraq along with his mother, youngest brother, and aunts. They settled in Qom along the way; he went to a few classes of dars al-kharij (post-graduate classes) in the seminary. He witnessed that Imam Khomeyni is teaching for hundreds of students – maybe 500 students – in Salmasi Mosque. He teaches; he sits on the floor to teach. He found the class as having greater warmth than the class of Ayatollah Milani in Mashhad. It was new to him that the teacher talks loudly and the students argue from every corner; he felt the passion in the class. When he came to Qom in 1958, the first class that he chose was the class of Imam Khomeyni; he studied a complete course of usul (principles of jurisprudence) with him. For fiqh (jurisprudence), other than what he learned from Ayatollah Haeri, he learned the rest from HajAgha Ruhollah.

A Distinct Teacher

Sayyed Ali witnessed that the methods and conduct of Imam Khomeyni is different from his peers. He was not a teacher that would get friends with the students. He would go from his house in Yakhchal Ghazi to Salmasi Mosque in Aghazadeh Alley, quiet and calm, teach and then go back home. He did the same in the afternoons. He would not talk and make jokes with the students before and after the class, as it was common to do so by some teachers. “Naturally, such a class is not supposed to be fun for the students and no one would like such a class. But it was exactly the opposite; meaning that even though he was cold in his relations, they would like him so much that I had rarely seen such relations between the teacher and students in Qom [and Mashhad].”

What was obvious for Sayyed Ali in the classes of Imam Khomeyni was his academic superiority, accuracy, being able to have academic arguments, and complete dominance in discussions. “He would answer right away to anyone who would ask a question… sometimes the arguments were right but he wouldn’t get stuck in answering; he would answer but tomorrow [for instance]… he would leave the answer… I remember once or twice that he thanked the student arguing and said that your argument is right.”

The Teacher of Ethics

Sayyed Ali Khamenei learned that Imam Khomeyni has lessons on ethics and philosophy. These classes had been canceled for years but when he got to Qom, he was still famous as a teacher of ethics among the students and scholars of Qom. It was said that his ethical lessons were so attractive and impressive that even some great scholars of the Islamic Seminary of Qom would attend them. “We had heard these words, but in some instances, he would get into ethics through an occasion.”

It is a custom to mention some ethical points and advice at the start of the day or the last day or even through the year. Imam Khomeyni would dedicate these chances to ethics. “It was an outstanding moment! The students would cry... he would turn the hearts of students… He would change everything in the hearts of people. I had the chance to hear his words during the few years that I attended his classes.”

Sayyed Ali Khamenei knew the method and conduct of Ayatollah Khomeyni because of Islamic ethics. Neglecting the world and abandoning the luxuries of life was due to this issue; even that quietness was of his conduct. “He wasn’t arrogant at all.”

 The day he accepted to go on the pulpit and give lessons due to the insistence of his students was after the demise of Ayatollah Boroujerdi. “The scholars welcomed the issue with laughter. Even he was laughing… it was something new to him… then he said: ‘In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. The first day when Ayatollah Mohammad-Hoseyni Na’ini sat on the pulpit, he cried and said: ‘This is the same pulpit that the shaykh and many great scholars have sat on; now it has happened that I am sitting on it. [Imam Khomeyni added:] We must cry today that now it is our turn. He made this an introduction to his Ethical lesson which turned the hearts.’”

He remembers the day when one of the lessons at the usul class got to an end after around six months. Ayatollah Khomeyni said at the end of the lengthy lesson: “Today this lesson is finished. But this was not a necessary issue; we could have made it shorter. He made this an introduction to his ethical class that how we should spend our lives.”

He also remembers that after the demise of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, there was a discussion among the students of the seminary as to whom the Marji’yyah would go to will it stay in Qom or will it go to Najaf? The people of Qom had seen the marji’yyah and leadership among themselves for years. The Islamic Seminary of Qom was the greatest seminary of Shi’ism; and therefore, would not accept Marji’yyah to go out of Qom. On the other hand, Najafis expected Marji’yyah in their seminary.

Ayatollah Khomeyni talked about this issue in one of his classes and said that it should not be an argument over Qom or Najaf. He said that disagreement is for Satan. Two groups, both of whose goal is “God,” agree with one another[GS1] . Study for the sake of God; there is no difference between Qom and Najaf. “I will never forget these words. Even though we think that this is not a complicated word, but it affected me from that time… He had such sweet and warm statements in ethics and mysticism… that would turn the hearts, in a way that some would cry aloud.”

He also remembers that Ayatollah Khomeyni was a refined, watchful, and decent man. Even though he did not have information about the personal life of his teacher, but he used to abstain from one of the main weaknesses of some scholars who have disciples; rather he would diffuse people from himself. Abdolvahhab Rouhi-Yazdi, an old friend of Imam said: I know this man for forty years; I can say that I have never seen tark al-awla[1] from him.

He used to see how much Imam Khomeyni is welcomed by great scholars. I have rarely seen among the scholars one who has been respected in such a way in terms of piety. This is important; that he has lived such a life that is now being remembered as a man of piety by all respected people and those who are regarded as pious.

Unofficial Meetings

Sayyed Ali Khamenei got to know Imam Khomeyni better during the summer or the month of Ramadan, when he was about to go back to Mashhad for vacation, he went to the teacher to say goodbye. It is a custom among some scholars to go to the teacher for a goodbye. “He was sitting on a blanket and circle of books surrounded him; he was studying… I said a few words to him: … would you please give me permission; I’m going on vacation, to Mashhad.”

Imam Khomeyni knew him and his father. He asked a bit about Mashhad and his father and then: “Send my salams. He didn’t have more than a few words to say.”

The same custom is repeated by scholars when coming back to Qom. Another unofficial meeting with Ayatollah Khomeyni was when he had mourning sessions for Fatimiyyah. The reciter was Agha Kosari. The scholars would sit in the room where the session was held. Imam Khomeyni would sit close to the door and respect every student who would enter. “Very calm and decent… as if he must speak a few words, otherwise he wouldn’t speak. ‘Good morning’ and that was it. His head was down again… thinking and studying in his mind.”

It happened at times that before the mourning ceremony or after it, a student would have an academic discussion or a question. Ayatollah Khomeyni would answer very quietly and briefly; unless the student was able to delight HajAgha with his follow up questions. “He didn’t have that dignity and calmness anymore. He would get into the discussion thoroughly, and yell… say no, and argue. The things that are common among our scholars in jurisprudential discussions.

The introversion ‎and quietness of Imam Khomeyni ended upon seeing a friend; he would get delighted. Sayyed Ali remembers a time when Sayyed Mohammad-Sadiq Lavasani entered the mourning session; “He stood up so hastily and laughed, a sweet laughter… greeted him, gave him a seat next to himself and started talking…” as if he is not the organizer of the session like a few moments back.

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