The Celestial Figure

By: Aliakbar Haeri

Name: Sayyid Ruhollah

Family name: Mostafavi, known as Mousavi Khomeini

Title: Imam Khomeini

Date of birth: 20^th of the month of the Jamadiuthani of the year 1320 of lunar Hijri – 30^th of the month of Shahrivar of the year 1281 of Solar Hijri (20/9/ 1902)

Place of birth: Khomein Town in Iran

Date of demise: 1368 of Solar Hijri (3/6/1989)

His works: The book ‘Sharhe duayeh sahar’ , ‘Sharhe Chehel Hadith’ , ‘Kashful-Asrar’, ‘A book of Poetry’ , ‘Tahrirul-Wasilah’ and so on.

Imam Khomeini’s father was one of the leading  ‘Ulama of the holy city of Najaf. After years of studying and teaching Islamic knowledge, he reached the degree of Ijtihad and then returned to his hometown – Khomein to teach the people. Due to the oppressive policies of the monarchial rule in Iran, then he also had to make Jihad against them and as a result, he was martyred at the hands of the agents of the tyrant of his time when his son, Ruhollah was just five, leaving the legacy of struggle for justice and against oppression to his son Ruhollah who was also raised and educated by two pious ladies, his mother and his (paternal) aunt. About ten years later, those two honourable ladies who had been very loving to him also passed away.

In 1300 (1921) Ruhollah stepped into the Qum theological center (Hawzeye ‘Elmiyyah), where he spent most of his time studying under great teachers. At 27 he married the daughter of a prominent religious authority of Tehran. Two sons and three daughters were born to that honourable devout couple.

His marital life has been an exemplary one, since, as repeatedly expressed by his wife, Imam Khomeini (ra) was most respectful,  loving and considerate to his wife, and as an example, would not start eating (at home) before his wife came and started eating.

• 15^th Khordad of 1342 (4/6/ 1963)

That day can be regarded as the starting point of the rise of the sun of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, since on that day, the Iranian people in numerous cities and towns of the country, having been awakened by the historic speech of Imam Khomeini (ra) delivered by him two days before ( on Khordad 13 – 2/6/1963) in opposition to the slavish, tyrannical policies of  the Pahlavi regime, rushed to the streets and expressed their support for Imam Khomeini (ra). Many of the demonstrators were martyred at the hands of the armed forces on that day. The Pahlavi regime, having witnessed the popularity of Imam Khomeini (ra) among the people decided to exile him. So, a few months later, they attacked his house in the Holy city of Qum and exiled him to Turkey (without informing the people). And after about a year, they exiled him to the holy city of Najaf in Iraq, where he spent the next 13 years of his life, never forgetting about his duty of awakening the people and exposing the treacherous policies of the tyrants. In Najaf, he also taught Islamic learnings to many students. Eventually, he was forced to migrate to Paris where he stayed for a short period before his glorious return to Iran on Bahman 12 of 1357 (31/1/1979) which was in fact the day of the Iranian people’s renewed alliance to Imam Khomeini (ra). The people's welcoming him was indeed historic and contributed to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran which took place 10 days later on 22 Bahman1357 (10/2/1979). Imam Khomeini (ra) continued to lead the people as decisively and efficiently as before till his departure to heavens in 1989. His last-will is no doubt an invaluable document and torch of guidance for all peoples of the world. May Allah bless him!