Shafaqna English| by Leila Yazdani- Imam Khomeini (RA) who was dedicated to the Qur’an throughout his life with total dedication to spirituality-cum-morality. He took up the challenge of standing true to the Prophet’s (PBUH) mission of actively engaging the world to reform it and advance it towards a better future.
Imam Khomeini (RA) has had very unique characteristics and qualities which have been very rarely seen among the leaders of contemporary history.
The various facets of his amazing Islamic leadership of a great Imam may be characterized as exceptional personal integrity, unselfish lifestyle, iron-will, incredible courage, and steadfastness.
He had the capacity for stoic endurance and empathy with the suffering and oppressed people. It is also noteworthy that Imam was also blessed with extraordinary communication and oratorical skills.
Imam Khomeini (RA) exemplified the genuine teachings of the holy prophet of Islam (PBUH) in his lifestyle
Imam Khomeini (RA) truly exemplified the true and genuine teachings of the holy prophet of Islam and his infallible successors in his lifestyle.
Imam Khomeini (RA), on various occasions in this regard, said as following: We must take this family as our role model, our women should try to emulate their women, and our men their men. All of us should learn from all of them. They dedicated their lives to the support of the oppressed and to the revival of the divine traditions. We should follow their example and dedicate our lives to them.
He who knows the history of Islam knows that each member of this family was a perfect human being, even more than that, a divine being, a spiritual person who rose for the people and for the oppressed against those who sought to destroy them.
11 April 1979 (22 Farvardin 1358 AHS)
Imam Khomeini (RA) emphasized the importance of self-purification
The great figure put emphasis on the importance of self-purification and attaining proximity to Allah (SWT), the Almighty, before he began lecturing his students on intellectualism and academic issues.
Professor Hamid Algar quotes a favourite Du’a of the Imam from the Munajat-e Shabanniyyah: ‘O’ Allah! Grant me total separation from anything other than You, and brighten the vision of our hearts with the vision of looking upon You. So they may pierce the veil of light and attain the fountainhead of magnificence, and our spirits be suspended from the splendor of Your sanctity.’
Imam Khomeini (RA) stayed away from a luxury lifestyle before and after the revolution
Imam Khomeini (RA) adopted a very simple lifestyle at a time when he was leading the Islamic Revolution from exile and had millions of followers.
An internationally-reputed scholar believes that from the beginning of his career — both as a student and teacher of Islamic sciences, Imam Khomeini (RA) committed himself to a life of simplicity, of spiritual discipline to discover and understand the essential aspect of his life,
Imam Khomeini (RA), the contemporary leader of the Muslim world, had opted to live in a simple residence in the Iranian capital, Tehran, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution under his wise leadership in 1979.
Imam Khomeini (RA) lived in a simple house
Imam Khomeini (RA), who had brought about one of the greatest revolutions of this century, lived in a simple house with the barest essentials, and he ate simple food.
The late founder of the Islamic Republic adopted an elementary life, opting to live in a modestly built residence that has now become a site for visits by thousands of pilgrims, tourists, and intellectuals from across Iran and various parts of the globe.
Devotees and believers around the globe have been deeply impressed by Imam Khomeini’s (RA) simple and modest lifestyle.
Imam Khomeini (RA) had great respect for his wife
Imam had great respect for her wife, and she also stood by Imam through all thick and thin times and especially during the struggle for the Islamic Revolution. He had never asked his family members and others to do his job.
“Imam always offered me a better place in the room. He would not start eating until I came to the dinner table. He would also tell the children: ‘Wait until Khanom comes.’ He maintained respect for me and was not even willing that I should work in the house. He would always tell me: ‘Don’t sweep.’ If I wanted to wash the children’s clothes at the pond, he would come and say: “Get up, you shouldn’t be washing,” his wife said.
Imam Khomeini’s (RA) advice to authorities on adopting a simple lifestyle
The great Muslim leader led the Islamic revolution by describing himself as a servant of the nation.
“Leader and leadership in the divine religions, including Islam, is not in itself something grand to make men proud and self-conceited”. “If they call me a servant, it would be better than being called a leader. Being a leader is not what matters. What matters is service; Islam has made it necessary for us to serve! I am a brother to Iranian people and regard myself as their servant and soldier…” Imam Khomeini (RA) said.
Imam Khomeini (RA) always recommended that government officials and authorities, religious scholars, and clerics adopt simple styles in all fields and arenas.
The world’s spiritual and religious leader also advised all devotees and believers to avoid a luxurious life and instead assist the needy, oppressed, and poor classes of society.
Extreme care must be taken in spending the public money
To get an idea of the Imam’s simple living and his belief that extreme care must be taken in spending the Baitul-Maal (Muslim treasury), it is enough to note that, it was according to his view and emphasis that in article 142 of the constitution of the Islamic Republic, the supreme Court is obligated to investigate the assets of the leader and upper layer of responsible authorities of the Islamic Order, before and after their incumbency or assignment, to insure that, no unlawful increases have been made. Imam Khomeini was the first person to submit a list of his meagre assets to the state Supreme Court.
Immediately after the Imam’s ascension, his son, in a letter that was printed in the newspapers, asked the Judiciary Power to investigate the assets of the Imam again under the Constitutional law.
The result of the investigation was published in a statement dated 02 July 1989, by the Supreme Court. This statement revealed that during the lapse of time, not only had nothing been added to the Imam’s assets, but rather, a land lot that was inherited from his father was given to the indigent people of the place during his life and by his order.
And so the remaining assets of a man who had spent about 90 years of his life in utter popularity, included eyeglasses, finger-nail clippers, beads, the Qur’an, prayer-mat, turban, clergymen’s clothes, and some religious books.
That was the list of all the assets of a man who not only was the leader of an oil-rich country with tens of millions of population, rather, he ruled over the hearts of many more millions, the people.
Many scholars and analysts believe that the founder of the Islamic Republic truly exemplified the genuine teachings of the holy prophet of Islam and his infallible successors in his lifestyle, and he had managed to attract a large number of followers because he characterized and decorated himself by leading a modest and simple life.
Source:
-Rays of the Sun, 83 Stories from the Life of Imam Khomeini (ra), Foundation of the Representation of the Office of Spiritual Leadership in Universities