Manifestation of the Friend

With the People

part 4

They have come here out of affection

After the victory when the Imam arrived in Qom, on most days people would come to visit him and express their feelings on the streets. There was a huge crowd. On the other side of the Qom River which lay opposite the quarters of the Imam, the massive crowd would sway like the waves of an ocean. The Imam would come on the roof and respond to the feelings of the people. Some would ask him not to come on the roof as it was dangerous for him. The people would throw packages at him to bless the contents. But the Imam would retort that they were coming here out of love. At the same time a group would say to him that: “O Imam! If you want to come on the roof allow us to go first so that we can assess the situation and then you can come.”‌ This issue was repeated several times by Mr. Ishraqi but the Imam paid no attention. As soon as he would hear the clamor of the crowd gathered on the street, immediately he would place the turban on his head, wear his slippers and go to the roof. He loved to respect the people who would come to visit him out of affection and zeal.

The enemies do not know about two things

After his love and affection for God and the saints, the Imam reserved the utmost affection for the people and regarded love for the people to be love of God. He would always state that, “Our enemies do not know about two things; one is Islam and the other our people.”‌

The people will never be weakened

Sometimes it would happen that the widespread propaganda by the internal and external enemies about the illness of the Imam would make the rounds. Thus the Imam would be told that if he did not hold meetings or send messages, the people or the combatants on the warfronts would become dispirited to which the Imam replied: “Are the people fighting for me that they should become dispirited? They are fighting for the cause of God and Islam and will never be weakened.

I know the people better

Among all my friends and acquaintances I do not know of any person who had faith in the people of Iran like the Imam. In the course of the struggle he was told time and again that the people cannot tolerate the hardships of the struggle and would wilt to which the Imam would reply: “No the people are not as you are saying; I know the people better.”‌

The newspapers do not belong to us

One day when we in the company of the representative of the Imam in the ‘Keyhan’ and ‘Ittila‘at’ newspapers Martyr Shahcheraghi and Mr. Duaei went to meet with the Imam, Mr. Khatami who was the Minister of Islamic

Guidance at that time was also present. While welcoming us he stated: “The newspapers must not be such that they print things pertaining to me and always print my photo on the front page and write about me in bold letters and main title.”‌ Then he stated: “The newspapers do not belong to us. They belong to the deprived people. They belong to the middle class.”‌ He added saying: “If a peasant does a good job, print his photo on the first page instead of printing my photo.”‌

You go and follow the line of the people

When we went to meet the Imam together with the staff of the ‘Jumhuri Islami’ newspaper, I said that we were very alone and the attackers are many. Because it was the beginning of the Revolution and the anti-Revolution forces were in large numbers and the smaller groups would publish hundreds of unknown publications constantly leveling charges at us.

 He had great faith in the people.

Because it is not available to all people, I too will not seek refuge in bomb shelter

God is aware of how much the Imam would pray for the people in the non-obligatory midnight prayers and while shedding tears. He always wanted the welfare of the people; he always wanted the security of the people and how much he would advise the authorities to work for the people. Or perhaps how much he would counsel the authorities that we had before and at the beginning of the Revolution who was not too much concerned about the welfare of the people, to work for the people. How much he would think about the security of the people. During the war God bears witness that at the time of aerial strikes, he would not move out of his room and from near the windows. Of course because the windows had been plastered for all people, they had also plastered them for him. However, he was repeatedly asked by the authorities and by some members of the family to prepare a bomb shelter for the Imam. In reply to them the Imam would say: “If all the people have a facility that protects them from being wounded, I too will avail myself of them. But I know that all the people do not enjoy such facilities. No doubt it is right that a number of bomb shelters have been built but only a small number of people can benefit from them and because not all the people can benefit from them I will not move from my room.”‌ I said that, “By God the people themselves will be happy for your safety. Safeguard yourself for the sake of the people.”‌ He would say: “Yes that is one duty but this is another one. I can go to another place where I will know I am secure provided that I know all people do not have access to this.”‌

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Other Links:

Manifestation of the Friend: With the People (part 1)

Manifestation of the Friend: With the People (part 2)