Manifestation of the Friend

With the People

PART 2

He no longer celebrated

At the beginning when the Imam came to Najaf, religious feasts such as Fitr Feast, Feast of Sacrifice, mid-Sha‘ban, Third of Sha‘ban, Thirteenth of Rajab, birthday of Her Holiness Fatimah Zahra (A.S) and such feasts the Imam would celebrate sitting in the external yard and the seminary students and the men would come to visit. But when news of imprisonment and torture of the Muslim fighters reached the ears of the Imam, he totally shunned holding and participating in these celebrations and did no longer celebrate.

How should I go to Kufah?

The weather in Najaf was extremely hot such that at times the temperature reaches 50 degrees Centigrade and causes a lot of discomfort. One day I went together with some of the brethren to the Imam and said: “Sir, this heat is intense; you are also come of age and all the people go to Kufah to pass the nights. There the climate is better. You too should go there.”‌ In reply he stated: “How should I go to Kufah for its better climate when my brethren are imprisoned in Iran.”‌

Do all the seminary students own refrigerators that we should also have one?

A domestic in the house of the Imam narrated about starting of living in Najaf of the Imam and how they did not have a refrigerator in the house whereas  most  homes  in  Najaf  had  one.  Considering  the  need  for  a refrigerator there, one day I told Aqa Mustafa that: “Haj Aqa, buy a refrigerator for us.”‌ He replied in the positive but after he had consulted with the Imam, he had replied that: “Do all the seminary students own a refrigerator that we should also have one?”‌ After a period of time when during visits we noticed that all of them did have refrigerators we mentioned it to the Imam. It was then that the Imam allowed a small refrigerator to be arranged.

I did not see that place to meet with my expectations

Before going to Paris, with regard to the preconceived notions that we had of that city, we thought that it would be a well-equipped home with all facilities arranged for the Leader of the Revolution so that at any moment one could send and receive messages from around the world. When I entered the courtyard of the house of the Imam I was confronted with a large crowd of people. There were a large number of shoes that were all soiled because of the rainfall. When I entered the house, a small curtain was hanging with the nail in the middle loosened. I set aside the curtain and went to the other side. It was a small room with a small mattress on which the Imam would sit. There was no sign of the expected and preconceived facilities and items of comfort and easy living and on the whole, it did not meet with my expectations.

That was my best moment

After the speech at the Behesht-e-Zahra Cemetery, the Imam expressed the desire to join the crowd. There is also a photo of the Imam without the turban and the robe caught in the middle of the crowd. The Imam would state later that: “I felt as if my soul was departing.”‌ The Imam meant that the best of moments was the time when he was being demolished under the hands and feet of the people. This by itself reveals the utmost humility and sincerity of the Imam in relation to the people such that he expressed his feelings for them in this manner.

I want to kiss your forehead

On the days when the Imam would go to the ‘Alawi Theological School and the people would meet him in groups (men in the morning and women in the afternoon) there would be a great rush and normally a number of people would become indisposed and faint and would be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Once when I was with the Imam, in the midst of that throng and huge crowd, the eyes of the Imam fell on a ten-year old boy whose weak physical condition was dangerous. He was both crying as well as trying to push his way through to get to the front. In this tumult the Imam asked that the boy be brought to him.

 The Imam then lowered his face and he kissed him on one cheek and then asked to kiss his other cheek too. The Imam allowed him to do so. Finally, he asked to kiss his forehead as well. The Imam once again humbly bent his forehead and he also kissed the forehead of the Imam.

Source:

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

Other Links:

Justice theory: Idalah in Judaism and Christianity

Justice Theory: Idalah in ancient China and India