Manifestation of the Friend
With the People
part 14
I am only a clergyman
On the very first day of the arrival of the Imam in Karaj, Hujjat al-Islam Haj Sheikh Hussein Lankarani came to visit him. When he was being ushered in, he said: “I don’t deserve to kiss your hands; allow me to kiss your feet instead…” and again repeated his complaint that: You have come without informing and without protocol and we assert our disapproval with this manner and approach.” The Imam retorted: “I am only a clergyman and do not deserve such a protocol.”
In the company of the seminary students
In the year 1955, during the mourning ceremony was being held at the residence of the Supreme Ayatollah Borujerdi to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Her Holiness Fatimah Zahra (A.S). I noticed the Imam sitting in the midst of average seminary students a little further away from the late Borujerdi with absolute humility and etiquette. At this ceremony the late Torbati was delivering sermon. Throughout this period when we were attending the ceremonies, we saw the Imam sitting cross legged and with absolute composure listening to the sermon right from the beginning to the end of the session. I wondered why he did not sit close to the late Borujerdi and like an ordinary listener he would sit with humility in the company of young and little-known seminary students despite being a distinguished and revered figure of the theological school.
They poured two buckets of water on me
The son of the fourth martyr at the altar””His Holiness Ayatollah Ashrafi Isfahani””narrates that when he was fifteen years old, one day he had gone to a public bath in Qom. At the entrance he noticed that one of the men had lathered his head with soap and his eyes were also covered with the lather and was probing with his hands for a bucket. Immediately he picks up a bucket that was near him, fills it with water from the pool and pours two buckets of water on the man. That radiant man gives him a look of gratitude and asks whether he too had washed his head to which he replies in the negative adding that he had just come to the bath. Finally, he goes to a corner and soaps his head and face. Before he could pour water over his head, suddenly two buckets of water pours over him. He opens his eyes and notices that the distinguished figure had in return reciprocated his gesture and poured the water over his head. He goes and narrates the tale to his father but because he did not know his name he could not identify the man by name. Some time later the son goes along with his father to a religious feast held at the home of theologians that suddenly he notices that man and tells his father about his presence. His father is amazed and tells his son that the man was Haj Aqa Ruhollah Khomeini.”
You did not give me permission
The prominent theologians have narrated to me that the late Borujerdi did not regard it permissible to emulate the instructions of a dead theologian and opined that a person must emulate a living theologian. Two distinguished religious scholars of that time, the late Ayatollah Yathribi who was a theologian from the province of Kashan and was a protégé of the late Aqa Diya Araqi who was a prominent scholar of Najaf and the Imam would argue with him in order to convince him. The late Yathribi started the discussion but Aqa Borujerdi was not convinced. The Imam was sitting very quiet and well-behaved.
It was the Imam’s approach that one should not answer unless one is asked a question. The late Borujerdi turned towards the Imam and said: “Sir, are you not going to say something?” The Imam stated: “You did not give me permission.” After the Imam had finished speaking, Aqa Borujerdi accepted the idea of the Imam.
Islam does not depend on me
After the passing away of the late Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi, one day one of the friends and students of the Imam suggested to me that I should go to the Imam so that perhaps I could obtain his permission to print his practical treatise. It was early morning that we entered the extroversive yard of the Imam’s house. The Imam was sitting on a mattress. My friend spoke about the need of our modern society for the presence of a man of religion such as him. Out of zeal, affection and conviction, my friend uttered a phrase that had some exaggeration in it. I remember that suddenly the face of the Imam turned crimson and he stated: “It is not as if Islam depends on me.”
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 12)
Manifestation of the Friend: Subtle Spirit (part 13)
