Imam Khomeini's dear wife, lady Khadija Saqafi, belonged to a family of clergymen. She was born in Tehran in 1913. Her late father, Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Saqafi, who wrote the exegesis Tafsir Javan, was one of the great scholars of his time and was a student of the grand Ayatollah Hae'rri Yazdi. Her great grandfather was Mirza Abulfazl Tehrani, who was a genius in his era and wrote the famous book "Shafa Al-Sodoor" which described 'Ziyarat-e-Ashura'.
Imam Khomeini's wife was very intelligent, and showed great interest in pursuing her studies. After their marriage, Imam taught her Howza studies for fifteen years. Imam Khomeini always encouraged his wife to study and helped her a great deal. She got her diploma and learnt French at school, and learnt Arabic from Imam Khomeini. Even after they were deported from Iran to Iraq, she still wanted to continue her studies. She was well versed in Persian poetry and literature, such that when she grew older, she could still recite many poems off by heart.
Imam and his wife got married in the month of Ramadan in 1929. They had eight children which three of them died during their childhood.