Manifestation of the Friend

part 3

Be careful that the thorn does not cause problem for Ali One day when the Imam was taking a stroll, he stopped beside a fragrant rose flower stem and said: “When Ali comes to touch this flower, the thorns will cut his has hand. Cut off the pointed end of the thorn so that it does not cause problem for ‘Ali.”‌ Incidentally the gardener, who would tend the flowers, chipped off all the thorns right from the top to the bottom of the stem. Later when he saw it, he said with regret: “Why has the gardener done this and chipped off all of them! I meant that he cut only the thorn that was beneath. Why has he damaged this flower?”‌

How beautiful they are!

One day the Imam was preoccupied with prayers in the balcony of his home. Suddenly the sound of red alert siren resonated. The Imam was uttering the ‘salaam’ that signaled the end of the mandatory prayer. I took a deep look at his face. There was no change at all in his facial expression. After the conclusion of the prayer, he looked halfway up the sky and with a calm tone while looking at the anti-aircraft fire that had filled the overhead sky stated: “Look how beautiful they are!”‌

I will eat it if it is delicious

If we wanted to place food in front of the Imam we must first attend to its outward appearance. If it did not look beautiful, he would not eat even if it tasted very delicious. However, if it looked beautiful, he would say: “I will taste it first and if it’s delicious I will eat.”‌

He was in love with beauty

The Imam had a powerful presence in the house. For example, he would calculate the time it took for a bud to bloom and the petals of that bloom to shrivel and fall. For instance on the same day of the explosion at the Islamic Republic party headquarters and the martyrdom of Mr. Beheshti and the rest of his friends, he turned his countenance towards his niece and said: “Do you know how many days it is since this flower has bloomed?”‌ Many times the Imam would point to a flower and address me saying that the bud was his grandson Ali while he would associate the flower whose petals were falling with him. The Imam loved beauty, cleanliness and fragrance.

This flower is three days old

My mother would narrate that one day the Imam was strolling in the garden in which there were many flowers. She went up to him and he told her that: “How many days old is this flower?”‌ She answered that she did not know. He stated: “This flower is three days old.”‌ He showed her other flowers and told her on what day each of them had blossomed and how many days old they were. Then he named the flowers after his grandchildren. He pointed to a newly blossomed flower and said: “This is Ali; that one is Hassan and that one over there is Yasir.”‌

How many days old do you think this bouquet is?

Sometimes I would stroll with the Imam. He would take a walk thrice a day and these moments were the best opportunity to see him. Every time I would notice how graciously and intensely he would look at his surroundings. I remember one day he was standing beside a bouquet and while facing me he stated: “How many days old do you think this bouquet is?”‌ I had never paid attention to it and told him that I did not know. He said: “I know exactly”‌ Well I don’t remember very well but I think he said it was two and half days old. I asked: “Do you see this bouquet every day?”‌ He replied; “I look at it everyday. Everyday when I pass from here, I notice how much it has changed and now it is two and half days old.”‌

He would pass judgment on the verses I would recite

Sometimes when I was with the Imam I would recite some ‘Ghazals’ that were beautiful in my opinion. For example, I would see a ‘Ghazal’ in a newspaper which I thought was beautiful and I would recite it for him and he would listen to it with love and affection and enjoy it. Sometimes he would also pass judgment on the verses that I would recite.”‌

He was extremely poetic

Sometimes it would occur that I or others would take a bouquet of flowers for the Imam and the Imam would welcome the bouquet with a gracious and sincere smile. The Imam is extremely poetic and recites wonderful verses. He kept a volume of verses that contained lovely verses which the “Savak”‌ security police of the Shah shredded when they invaded his residence in Qom.

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 2)