Manifestation of the Friend

With the People

part 10

The Imam’s sympathy for children of martyrs

One day I was in Jamaran when the Imam had just settled in Jamaran. It was the beginning of the war and among the visitors who came to see the Imam was  a  young  woman  who  had  recently  lost  her  husband  and  was accompanied with her daughter too who was a few years old. The daughter was extremely restless and had been crying since morning while her entire head and face was soiled and tears trickled down her cheeks. Her mother was anxious and wanted to take this child to the Imam by any means so that he would calm the child that had lost her father. She said that she was least concerned that her husband was martyred because she herself had made supported the idea and made arrangements for his departure to the warfront. But now what troubled her was her child and that she thought that the only solution was for the Imam to console her. My brother then took the child and brought her to the Imam. The Imam was walking in the courtyard and we expected him that as soon as he set his eyes on the child he would run his hand over her and then we would take her back to her mother. However, when he saw this crying and yelling girl, he sat down on the stone beside the pool and took the child in his arms and ran his hands lovingly and affectionately over her head and face and wiped off her tears. He was engrossed with this child for quite some time and later when the child calmed down he let her go and we returned her to her mother.

Come and let us converse together

Once an acquaintance came to the house and because he was angry at some issue, he spoke loudly while making his statements. The Imam although he was recuperating from his illness calmly and affectionately stated to him that, “Why are you angry? Now come and let us converse with one another; we will finally come to a conclusion.”‌

This is also for your mom!

At the time when I was commander of the ‘Komiteh’ of the Revolution, on the day of the Feast of Ghadir, the Imam had a meeting with the authorities in the Husseiniyah and after the conclusion of his speech, he returned with them and sat on the chair that was placed at the entrance of his room and the authorities went to meet him. At the side of the Imam was a bowl filled with one rial coins as souvenirs. With a radiant face that was brimming with joy, the Imam responded to our greetings and with his right hand he picked a few coins and gives it to the authorities as gift. He also gave me one.

O Imam please give one for my mom (who was ill and I wanted a coin with the intent of blessing and cure for her from him). While displaying a sweet smile, the Imam put a few of the remaining coins from the bowl into my hands and in a genial and kind tone stated jovially that, “Take this for your mom!”‌

We are greatly indebted to them

I told the Imam that many of the surviving families””of the bombed regions””still have feelings for the Revolution; they still express their support and still say they are ready to defend till the last breath and to confront the enemy. But well you also have a duty. So this is either their present conviction or just their empty saying. The Imam stated: “they are telling the truth; we are greatly indebted to them.”‌ Tears flowed down from his eyes and he wept bitterly.

Tears began to form around his eyes One of the officials traveled to the provincial town of Masjid-e Sulayman in connection with the missile strikes of Saddam. On return, quoting the Friday Prayer Leader of that town, he told the Imam that in the course of the missile strike by Iraq on Masjid-e Sulayman, that left a number of people martyred and wounded after long hours when the debris was still being cleared and search was going on for the dead and injured, a small child who had miraculously remained alive was brought out of the debris. He was wounded and covered with dirt and dust. Spontaneously in a loud voice before saying anything else he shouted: “War, war until victory”‌ and “O God! O God! Keep Khomeini alive until the Revolution of the Savior Mahdi.”‌ The Imam was listening intently to the report and was looking at the speaker. As the speaker began to narrate the latter part of the subject, although the Imam’s solidity of countenance concealed the inner emotions, but the profound effect on him revealed itself on his cherubic countenance so that tears began to form around his eyes.

Suddenly the expression of the Imam changed

A woman in Tabriz told me that her son had been taken prisoner of war by the Iraqis and recently she had heard that her POW son had been martyred. She said that she had come to ask me to tell the Imam not to be worried about our children and that for them the wellbeing of the Imam was important. When I mentioned this to the Imam, his expression changed and his eyes filled with tears. Seeing the Imam facial expression made me sorrowful.

He was always wearing a smile on his face

The Imam was extremely strong in his convictions. Whenever we would meet him he would be wearing a smile on his face.

He would always be smiling

I still do not recall entering the room of the Imam and not seeing him smiling.

He recounted the event with bitterness

The Imam loved the people. The night when the incident in Behbahan occurred when a primary school was bombed by the Iraqi warplanes, a large number of pupils were martyred. We were seated in a room that the Imam entered. His first words were reference to the Behbahan incident. He recounted this incident with such bitterness and grief as if it had occurred for his own son. The Imam did not shed tears when his son was martyred but he shed tears repeatedly for the children of the people.

Let her to take lunch

One day we went to an orchard wit ‘Ali (the Imam’s grandson). One of the security guards had a small girl who was present there. ‘Ali insisted that we take the girl to the Imam. It was lunchtime when we took her to the Imam.

The Imam told ‘Ali that, “Ask your friend to sit down for lunch.”‌He too put down the child to eat lunch. We went two or three times to take away the child so that he was not inconvenienced but he insisted, “let her take her lunch.”‌ After the child had eaten her lunch, we went and brought her back. The Imam presented her wit a gift of 500 tomans (50.00 US $ at that time). Yes, the Imam had great love for children and was extremely kind to them.

Not only was he in this manner towards ‘Ali, rather, he loved all children.

Source:

Other Links:

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

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