Manifestation of the Friend

Subtle Spirit

part 15

No one dared to gossip or even make a snide remark

The Imam had a lot of patience. I who was with him for years from dawn to dusk never heard hi get angry at anybody even once or express his discomfort. Despite this, no one dared to even make a snide remark about any body.

Wary of meetings that caused skepticism

The Imam was truly peerless when it came to working hard to the extent that I remember and have heard from his friend and classmate of the time of his youth and seminary days that he never passed his time in useless pursuits or as is well known among seminary students in “informal chat sessions of the seminary students”‌ that often involved gossip and disparaging a believer and enduring laughter that killed the spirit and made one to become distanced from God. Rather, if at all he would be compelled to attend such sessions, he would either intensely put a stop to any dialogue that might lead to a gossip or slandering of a pious believer and such matters or would immediately leave that session.

Islam ruled the Imam’s heart

In order to delve into the time of adolescence of the Imam, I sought information from some of his friends of the time of his youth who unanimously agreed that even during the critical period of youth; the Imam never  committed  a single transgression.

He possessed an exceptional moral behavior

The Imam was exception from the viewpoint of moral behavior. Perhaps for around 25 to 30 years, he would participate with late Ayatollah Zanjani in the lectures at the Faydiyyah Theological School but he would always walk behind him. Not even once he was observed to have walked in front of him.

He was not in pursuit of the altar and the mosque

At a time when one of the manifestations of the personality of a qualified religious authority was that he held his congregation prayer in a big and well-known mosque or in the vicinity of the Holy shrine of Masoomah in Qom, and have a larger congregation for prayers, while the Imam’s lectures held at the Salmasi Mosque close to Yakhchal Qadi lane, was filled with the most studious seminary students and theologians, yet for leading the congregation prayer, he never pursued the altar and mosque. Only a limited number who would  reach  his  humble  residence  at  dusk  succeed  in  standing  to congregation prayer with the Imam.

If there was a quarrel, he would keep silent

Where academic debates were involved the Imam was absolutely diligent and capable of holding his own in debates and would analyze the subjects in a very meticulous fashion and give his answer to problems. However, in session in which debating would be a cause for vanity and argument, he would keep silent. If anybody asked a question he would answer otherwise he would keep quiet and listen.

Usual respect for friends

At the get together that the Imam would participate with his friends, he would always make them walk ahead while he would come from behind and in this way show his respect for his friends. This circumstance did not occur once or twice; rather, it was a twenty-year old habit that I myself was a witness to. The Imam had an astounding immensity of spirit. 

What should I do with the evil of temptations?

At times when the theologians would arrive in Qom from the provincial towns and cities, it was customary for the theologians and qualified religious authorities to visit them. However, the Imam would visit only those with whom he was acquainted and sometimes when we would propose that he visit, he would not accept. One day I asked him whether visiting and expressing one’s affection to individuals wasn’t a part and parcel of Islamic etiquette to which he replied in the affirmative. I then asked him whether Islamic etiquette must not be put into practice to which he again replied in the affirmative. I continued telling him that we expected him to practice Islamic etiquette not for the sake of public relations or hypocrisy but rather for the sake of God to which he stated: “Yes, it is right that I must do such a thing, but what must I do with the evil of temptations?”‌ Whereas some individuals would perhaps construe his behavior as pride although it was not so. In those very days I fell ill and was bedridden for about one month in the chamber of the Hujjatiyyah Seminary. Throughout this one month, the Imam would visit me in my chamber every Wednesday although I was no more than an unknown seminary student.

He sent money through another person

Years before the Revolution, one of the prominent religious authorities was having a very hard time after the demise of his father. The Imam sent a sum of one-thousand tomans (a lot of money in those days) to him through a third person so that he wouldn’t know that the Imam had sent him the money.

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 13)

Manifestation of the Friend: Subtle Spirit (part 14)