Manifestation of the Friend

Role Model of Strength and Patience

part 2

We too will order our commandos

In the year 1963, on the morning of ‘‘Ashura’ day, while the Imam was at home among the people and was listening to religious invocations, one of the secret service ‘Savak’ authorities got to him and after introducing himself, mentioned: “I am commissioned on behalf of His Royal Highness to communicate to you that if you want to give a speech at the Faydiyyah Theological School, I will break into the seminary with my commandos and spill blood.”‌

Without showing the slightest reaction and without a twitch of an eyebrow, he responded: “We too will order our commandos to teach a lesson to the Shah’s agents.”‌

Unlock the door of the house immediately

When the Shah’s agents attacked the Faydiyyah Seminary, right at that moment I was at the Imam’s residence that the Imam was informed that the Shah’s agents had attacked the Faydiyyah Seminary, hurling down a number of students from the terrace, beating up old men and smashing the chambers, burning copies of the Qur’an and attacking the ordinary people much like the savage Mogul invaders had done. It was almost at sunset that the news would pour of an imminent attack on the Imam’s residence.

One of the theologians (late Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Sadiq Lavasani) ordered that the door of the residence be closed. At that instant, the Imam noticed that the door of the house was locked. Suddenly, he got up and stated: “They are beating up the seminary students and my children at the theological school and have ruined the school so why must the door of my house be locked?”‌ Next he ordered that the doors of the residence be opened immediately and he went towards the door stating: “Let whoever wants to come inside dare to do so and come in.”‌

The Imam unlocked the door to the house

The courage of the Imam needs no introduction because it crossed all limits and boundaries. In that same infamous Faydiyyah tragedy in which the Shah sent around a thousand men in plain clothes into the theological school and committed that horrendous crime, when this number of agents thought they had triumphed in the Faydiyyah Seminary incident, they marched on to the streets of Qom and created an astounding fear in the city with their chants of “Long live the Shah!”‌ so that nobody dared to breathe. Because their location was the “Hakim Nizami High School”‌ that was close to the Imam’s residence, it occurred to some that they were moving towards the residence. Thus they told the Imam that this armed group was moving towards his residence as they chanted slogans. Some thought it expedient to get up and lock the door of the house and perhaps even lock it from behind thus barring their entry. Thus they locked the house thinking that he would be please with their action. When the Imam came to know of their action, without saying a word to anyone, came down from his room and went and unlocked the door from both sides and returned and sat inside the same room that was located nearest to the door.

I warn you and your government

A telegraphic message was communicated to the Shah addressing him to urge the government to shun religious deviations. In reply to the telegram of the theologians, the Shah wrote that he wished the theologians success in their endeavors to enlighten the common people. In response the Imam wrote a letter to the Shah in which he stated that, “Since you desire the success of the prominent theologians in educating and enlightening the people, thus I would like to warn you and your government”‌ which meant that in fact they were the common people and needed to be warned and guided!

Source:

The Book "Manifestation of the Friend: A collection of memoirs about Imam Khomeini (R.A)"

Other Links:

Manifestation of the Friend: Perfect Role Model (Last Part)