Manifestation of the Friend
Subtle Spirit
part 14
Good Moral Behavior and Behavioral Attributes
Abstinence from sin right from the beginning of adolescence Right from the beginning of adolescence the Imam firmly believed that one must not backbite. Even when we his students would sit in his presence, we didn’t dare to gossip about any person because with a stern look he would nip us in the bud. In these instances, he had an exceptional dignity.
The Imam firmly believed in a few things including standing for congregation prayer immediately after the call to prayer, reciting the optional pre-dawn prayer and not indulging in backbiting. His friends would recount that during his youth when he was still unmarried, he would avoid committing even the minor sins.
He would not sit among gossipers
What everyone unanimously agrees upon is that the Imam was never willing to sit at a gathering of gossipers, liars and sinners. From the beginning the Imam had an intense aversion for lies and backbiting. From the beginning he would either not sit at a gathering of gossipers or would stop a conversation that resembled backbiting.
Gossip, never!
I say this from close observations that the Imam was extremely sensitive and careful that God forbid, the smallest religious tenets were not abused. There is no one who can claim to have seen the Imam in a gathering of gossipers let alone God forbid, indulge in backbite about any person.
Nobility of spirit in attitude towards opponent
When I was at the Dar ash-Shifa’ Theological School, my study chamber was next to that of the Imam. There was a theologian who would come from the Faydiyyah Seminary to the Dar ash-Shifa’ Theological School. However, as
soon as he would reach my chamber, he would go no further. He was not willing even to make eye contact with the Imam or his chamber because he was strongly opposed to mysticism and philosophy and disagreed with the ideas of the Imam. When at a meeting the Imam was told that so and so person had such opinions about him and would sometimes speak against him, he stated: “I forgive whatever he has said about me. I hope his backbiting and slandering causes God to pardon my wrongdoings as well as to result in his guidance.”
I never heard even a semblance of gossip
I was with my eminent mentor the leader of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini for thirty years. I swear by my soul that this eminent personality never uttered a phrase that resembled backbiting. I won’t forget once for delivering a speech, he came to the Salamasi Mosque and why he was out of breath, he stated: “By God I have never been afraid so much” and added, “I have not come to deliver a speech, I have come give some talk.” I who attend his lectures for around ten to fifteen years had never heard make an audacious remark to the seminary students. But while he was in this condition he stated: “If you don’t have knowledge; if you don’t have a mind; if you don’t have religion then be sensible and stop making a mess of human identity.” Then he returned to his residence and his malt fever rebounded and for three days he was down with malt fever and stayed at home.
All these conditions were because he had heard that one of his students had gossiped about one of the respected theologians. The Imam himself had not gossiped, rather one of the seminary students had gossiped in the absence of one of the religious authorities but the Imam had become anxious and his breathing had suffered.
Source:
The Book "Manifestation of the Friend: A collection of memoirs about Imam Khomeini (R.A)"
Other Links:
Manifestation of the Friend: Subtle Spirit (part 10)
Manifestation of the Friend: Subtle Spirit (part 11)
