In the beginning of the twentieth century and while the western world was rapidly advancing and progressing, the reign of the Qajar dynasty in these years proved destructive and inauspicious for the people of Iran. As narrated by historians and writers, famine and hunger, theft and banditry, chaos and insecurity, absence of hygiene and welfare and so forth and the absence of basic amenities added to the miseries of the people of Iran. “The Constitutionality Movement” with the plots and oppositions by the agents of Britain in the court of the Qajar rulers and likewise, domestic differences and the treachery of a group of westernized intellectuals had gone astray. Despite the leadership role of the clergy at the beginning of this movement, it was sidelined by means of various conspiracies and the authoritarian rule restored. The clannish nature of the Qajar dynasty and the weakness and incompetence of its rulers brought about sever economic and social hardships in Iran and gave a free hand to the feudal landlords and miscreants thereby taking away security from the people.” (Hamid Ansari: Narrative of Awakening, p. 21) In such circumstances and situations, at the dawn of the first day of the Iranian month of Mehr (September 24, 1902) of the solar year 1281 equivalent to the twentieth day of the lunar month of Jumadi ath-Thani 1320 A.H., coinciding with the birth anniversary of Her Holiness Fatimah Zahra (‘a), the beloved daughter of the honorable prophet of Islam (s), in the provincial town of Khomein, a son was born who would later on with his divine uprising, shape the best and most honorable destiny of the people of Iran. The name of this infant who was born exactly 1902 years after the birth of Jesus Christ—the great Divine prophet of God—was named the same Arabic name of His holiness meaning “Ruhullah”. Certainly on that day nobody would guess that this newborn would turn out to be that same Imam Khomeini who would revive the religion of God and the lofty divine values in the era of transformation of these values.
While he was just four months and twenty-two days old, his father who in those days was the refuge and supporter of the hapless people and a symbol of struggle against oppression and tyranny of local feudal landlords and bullies was martyred at the hands of those very tyrants. Thus Ruhullah was reared under the guardianship of his mother Banu Hajar, his paternal aunt Banu Sahibah Khanom and later his elder brother Sayyid Murtada Pasandideh. However, at the young age of fifteen, he was deprived of the blessed presence of his mother as well as his paternal aunt. During this period in Khomein, he completed part of his education and thereafter at the age of 17, entered the Arak Theological School and was tutored by Haj Shaykh Abdul Kareem Hairi Yazdi who was one of the greatest theologians of Iran at that time. However, after three months when Haj Shaykh ‘Abdul-Karim went to the Qum Theological School, he too took up residence in Qum and earned the highest degree in theology over there and became one of the most outstanding tutors and theologian of the Qum Theological School. Among the tutors who played a fundamental role in his intellectual and personality development one can name the late Ayatullah Shahabadi.
Ruhullah who in this period became famously known as ‘Haj Aqa Ruhullah’ with regard to the sensitive and curious spirit and precise and calculated planning as well as tireless efforts and hard work joined the ranks of the distinguished and outstanding names in the history of these fields of study. In addition to teaching and training prominent protégés in these fields of study, he is also the author and composer of works that are in their own right of the highest order and unique in this period.
On the other hand, self-development and piety that was the permanent foundation and raw material of his life and all his programs, had built such a comprehensive personality out of him that “his basic characteristics are rarely found in ordinary individuals and if even one of the traits are observed in an individual, he is regarded as a distinguished individual leave alone that all those superior traits gather in a single person. The Imam was an extremely prudent, farsighted, wise, shrewd, patient and knowledgeable person such that each of these personality traits is sufficient to place an individual in an outstanding category and earn the respect of all concerned.” (Refer to the book “Hadith-e Wilayat” by His Holiness Ayatullah Khamenei, vol. 1, p. 23).
However, this personality with all these superior traits sought the consent of the Blessed and Almighty God in all matters and placed his trust and worshipped Him alone. Perhaps this is the biggest factor that brought in its wake all his successes as well as all these favors for human beings. In addition to academic qualifications and religious studies and distinguishing himself in these fields as well as self-development and spiritual purification and adorning the soul with precious individual virtues and qualities, right from his youth he possessed a spirit of combating oppression and injustice and was interested in pursuing political and social issues that continued and was perfected parallel with his academic and spiritual perfection. This path and way continued in various forms during the reign of Rida Khan and also his son Muhammad Rida such that after the demise of Supreme Ayatullah Borujerdi, the issue of provincial and state assemblies was raised and pursuant to it, the subject of referendum of the Shah and the so-called ‘White Revolution’ of the Shah and the people that led to the Khordad 15 (June 4) incident. The role of Haj Aqa Ruhullah in all these movements of the people of Iran against the oppressive monarchy was well-recognized such that on the dawn of Khordad 15 of the solar year of 1343 (June 4, 1963), he was arrested and imprisoned for ten days in Tehran and was freed due to several factors. However, while combating domestic oppression and injustice and being opposed to domination of the destiny of Muslims by foreigners, he once again revolted against the issue of ‘Capitulation’ and granting of immunity to American nationals in Iran and delivered the most virulent speech against America and its local agents and Israel and issued the most strongly-worded proclamation that ultimately led to his exile to Turkey.
During the period of his exile that lasted for a year in Turkey and thereafter continued for 13 years in the city of Najaf in Iraq, in addition to establishing the strongest seminary in Najaf, the struggle continued by various means and was led by Haj Aqa Ruhullah until the beginning of the month of November 1977 when the flames of the struggle and the Revolution was ignited with the martyrdom of his learned and virtuous son the late Ayatullah Sayyid Mustafa Khomeini. As a result of restrictions imposed on him, he was compelled to travel to Paris and guide the struggle and the Revolution from there. Finally, with the departure of the Shah from Iran on January 16, 1979, and culmination of the struggle, Ayatullah Khomeini arrived in Iran on February 1, 1979 in the midst of a tumultuous and magnificent welcome that was unparalleled in history. Thereafter, with his guidance and leadership, the Islamic and popular Revolution of Iran triumphed on February 11, 1979 and the dynamic system of the Islamic Republic of Iran replaced the system of monarchy. In this way, Imam Khomeini played the greatest role in liberation of human beings and founded one of the most popular governments based on the doctrine of Islam.
Perhaps one can consider the most important objective of this self-made man whether in the role of a student of religious sciences and whether in the position of a prominent and distinguished tutor and theologian of the Qum Theological School; and whether in the position of leadership of the Revolution and the movement and whether in the position of a religious authority and leader of the divine system of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, was to prove subservience to the will of God in all his activities throughout these stages and performance of duty based on this subservience. This resulted in the liberation of human beings and reaching them to their nobility and perfection; and in actions such as combating injustice and struggle against the influence of foreigners and aliens whether at the national level and whether at the international level of the world of Islam and beyond such as the struggle against the Shah, America, Israel and defense of the rights of Palestinians and similar issues. Towards this end, it is credible, acceptable and quite obvious that by following the lofty teachings of Islam in their various dimensions, this self-made man had attained perfection and in his worship of the Exalted Truth had reached to such a lofty position that he was able to manifest the Truth in various individual and social dimensions.
Manifestation of the Friend
Compiled by: Asghar Mir-Shekari
Translator: Mohsen Dehqani