Divine blessings had been bestowed upon Imam Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution and the great founder of the Islamic-democratic system in Iran.
In the entire blessed life of Imam Khomeini, two decades are the most significant of all. The first is the decade during which he studied Irfan under Ayatollah Shahabadi commencing from 1928.
And the other was the last decade of his life commencing from February 1979, during which he established the Islamic government in Iran.
Experts assert that the first decade was a causing factor for the latter.
Ayatollah Shahabadi was one of the main teachers of Imam Khomeini in Irfan (Islamic Mysticism).
The late Imam Khomeini was very much influenced by his teacher, and repeatedly quoted from him in his books, referring to him as “The Perfect Arif Sheikh Shahabadi.”
In acknowledging the impacts of his teacher, Imam Khomeini said in one of his speeches:
“Indeed, our honourable Sheikh had the right of spiritual life on me that my hands and tongue are insufficient to appreciate.” (27 April 1984)
The son of Imam Khomeini, the late Sayyed Ahmad said:
“I asked my father what he studied under Ayatollah Shahabadi, he replied: Sharh-e Fosus and Mesbah al-Ons and Manazel al-Saa`erin. I asked how many classmates did you have? Imam Khomeini replied: Three students if it were crowded, otherwise usually it was only me.”
The late Imam Khomeini studied Irfan under Ayatollah Shahabadi for about 6 years, although he would say: “If Ayatollah Shahabadi would teach for seventy years, I would still attend his classes, for every day he had new wisdom to offer.”
Late grand Ayatollah Mirza Sheikh Muhammad Ali Shahabadi (1875-1950AD), the main spiritual teacher and mentor of Imam Khomeini, has been one of the great Shia mystics of the 20th century.
The late Ayatollah Shahabadi without doubt had a key and defining impact on the mystical and spiritual personality of Imam Khomeini.
Ayatollah Shahabadi was originally from Isfahan, Iran. He was an expert in Islamic jurisprudence, philosophy and Irfan.
In philosophy and Irfan he was the student of the late Ayatollah Mirza Abul-Hasan Isfahani (1823-1897AD), known as Jelweh, and one of the four most celebrated philosophers in the history of Islamic philosophy.
Apart from Jurisprudence, philosophy and Irfan, the Grand Ayatollah Shahabadi was acquainted with Mathematics, Ilm al-Jafr, and also mastered the French language.