Manifestation of the Friend
Perfect Role Model
part 5
I am able to control my thought
On our persistence that he narrate to us about his experiences in prison and in Turkey, he would systematically devote only ten minutes and no more each night to recount those experiences. This is because he had set aside this amount of time especially for this purpose and he would then go to bed and state: “Although I don’t feel sleepy but it is time to sleep.” I would remark that while he was still lying awake in bed, he would begin to think and worry and thus it was better that he narrates to us his experiences instead. To which he replied: “No, I am able to control my thinking.” I would respond by saying that if he rolled over for half an hour in bed, he could neither sleep nor also think to which he responded that: “I am able to control my thought.”
His walking was harmonized with invocation
Throughout his life, apart from the programmed invocations that he would chant, he would recite the Qur’an thrice daily. His invocations were harmonized with his walking program and if for instance, he wanted to walk for half an hour, he would busy himself with chanting of invocations. When his chanting invocations finished, he would also stop walking meaning that his half-hour stroll was not timed with a watch; rather it was timed with chanting of invocations.
During recess you must indulge in recreation
When the Imam would see me being busy during holidays he would say: “It won’t get anywhere because at the time of recess you must indulge in recreation.” He said this in earnest to my son. This quote is from the Imam himself because he would repeat it to my son in my presence saying: “I neither devoted one hour of my recess for studies nor one hour of my studies for recreation.” This implied that he devoted every moment for a particular thing and he would advise my son also to engage in recreation as otherwise he would not be able to prepare himself for studying.
Do not study during recess time
I remember that the Imam would always advise not to study during playtime and not to indulge in playful activities during study time. Each is to be accomplished in its own time. Likewise, he would say that from childhood he remembered that he himself neverexchanged the timing of one with the other and that these two were complementary activities.
Studying and Working Hard
Some times he would be hidden behind a stack of books
From the time that I remember, I would see the Imam among stacks of books. Sometimes it would happen that we would go to his room to take tea for him, we would see a large number of half-opened books lying all around him and he would be preoccupied with reading them. The Imam was at home for most of the time and was always busy studying and would only leave the house to teach an hour and half before sunset.
He was fond of reading
The Imam was fond of reading and he still continued with the habit and would read a little until his eyes were fatigued. I remember during holidays when in summer we would either come to Tehran or go to one of the provincial cities, he would read such a large number of various books that those who were responsible for arranging the books for him began to complain. He had read most of the books of the world’s great writers whether in the social or whether in the political fields. He was the most well-read theologian. He had studied the history of Iran frequently as well as the constitutional history.
He would not go back to sleep after reciting prayers
As far as I can recall, the study time, the recreation time and working time of the Imam were separate because the Imam was basically a disciplined person and exercised discipline in all his tasks. Naturally, he was disciplined even in his reading habits. I remember from the time of childhood that he was fond of reading. From the time we would awaken in the morning, we would see him awake and my mother would say that after reciting prayers, he would not go back to sleep.
He was absorbed in his books
The reading habit of the Imam was enormous. When I would enter his room, I would see absorbed in reading his books. He would be sitting with a table measuring one meter in height in front of him and the books lying all around him. He was concealed behind the stacks of books. For instance some would jokingly remark that, “The Imam has still not risen from his place!” when friends would come to visit, they would always find the Imam in that study room. Only when he wanted tea would he strike at the tumbler with a spoon. He would get up to eat his meals.
Source:
The Book "Manifestation of the Friend: A collection of memoirs about Imam Khomeini (R.A)"
Other Links:
Manifestation of the Friend: Perfect Role Model (part 1)
Manifestation of the Friend: Perfect Role Model (part 2) 