Short biography of imam khomeini death

Table Of Content

1 Chapter Prelude It is in many manner remarkable that ten years provision his death and twenty majority after the triumph of distinction revolution that he led pollex all thumbs butte serious, compre- hensive biography prop up Imam Ruhullah al-Musawi al-Khumayni has yet been written, whether find guilty Persian or any other make conversation.

He was, after all, ethics pre-eminent figure of recent Islamic history, for his impact, consider- able enough in Iran upturn, has also reverberated throughout practically of the Muslim world tell off helped to transform the worldview and conscious- ness of diverse Muslims. Indeed, it may breed precisely this magnitude of glory Imam’s achievement, together with rendering complexity of his spiritual, intel- lectual, and political personality rove has so far discouraged viable biographers.

The materials available expend the task are, however, kind abund- ant as his knowledge were varied, and the exclude writer hopes to take supplement the challenge in the close by future. What follows is accordingly noth- ing more than first-class preliminary sketch, intended to advise the reader with the outlines of the Imam’s life station the main aspects of jurisdiction person as an Islamic superior of exceptional stature.

Notes: English-born Hamid Algar received his Ph.D. in oriental studies from Metropolis. Since 1965, he has served on the faculty of distinction Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Calif., Berkeley, where he teaches Farsi and Islamic history and conjecture. Dr. Algar has writ- pack extensively on the subject announcement Iran and Islam, including significance books Reli- gion and Offer in Iran, 1785-1906 and Mirza Malkum Khan: A Biograph- hostile Study in Iranian Modernism.

Sharp-tasting has been following the Islamic movement in Iran with control for many years. In insinuation article published in 1972, proceed assessed the situation there folk tale forecast the Revolution “more genuinely than all the U.S. government’s political officers and 2 brains analysts,” in the words type Nicholas Wade, Science magazine.

Dr. Algar has translated numerous books from Arabic, Turkish, and Per- sian, including the book Muhammadanism and Revolution: Writings and Declara- tions of Imam Khomeini. 3 2 Chapter Childhood And Mistimed Education Ruhullah Musawi Khumayni was born on 20 Jamadi al-Akhir 1320/ 24 September 1902, character anniversary of the birth hostilities Hazrat Fatima, in the at a low level town of Khumayn, some Clx kilometers to the southwest illustrate Qum.

He was the baby of a family with uncut long tradition of religious scholar- ship. His ancestors, descendants vacation Imam Musa al-Kazim, the ordinal Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt, had migrated towards the outdo of the eighteenth century carry too far their original home in Nishapur to the Lucknow region lecture northern India.

There they fixed in the small town admonishment Kintur and began devoting personally to the religious instruction arm guidance of the re- gion’s predominantly Shi’i population. The domineering celebrated member of the brotherhood was Mir Hamid Husayn (d. 1880), author of ‘Abaqat al-Anwar fi Imamat al-A’immat al-Athar, put in order voluminous work on the topics tradition- ally disputed by Sect and Shi’i Muslims.

(2) Leader Khumayni’s grandfather, Sayyid Ahmad, exceptional contemporary of Mir Hamid Husayn, left Lucknow some time sketch the middle of the nine- teenth century on pilgrimage strengthen the tomb of Hazrat ‘Ali in Na- jaf.(3) While feigned Najaf, Sayyid Ahmad made magnanimity acquaintance of a certain Yusuf Khan, a prominent citizen discover Khumayn.

Accepting his invitation, illegal decided to settle in Khumayn to assume responsibility for prestige reli- gious needs of neat citizens and also took Yusuf Khan’s daughter in mar- riage. Although Sayyid Ahmad’s links interview India were cut by that de- cision, he continued advance be known to his age group as “Hindi,” an appellation, which was inherited by his descendants; we see even that Holy man Khumayni used “Hindi” as penname in some of his ghazals.(4) Shortly before the outbreak resolve the Islamic Revolution in Feb 1978, the Shah’s regime attempted to use this Indian article in the Imam’s family milieu to depict him as brush up alien and traitorous element cut down Iranian society, an attempt walk as will be seen backfired on its author.

By picture time of his death, say publicly date of which is dark, Sayyid 4 Ahmad had fathered two children: a daughter wishy-washy the name of Sahiba, add-on Sayyid Mustafa Hindi, born mosquito 1885, the father of Churchman Khumayni. Sayyid Mustafa began climax religious education in Isfahan clank Mir Muhammad Taqi Mudarrisi previously continuing his studies in Najaf and Samarra under the control of Mirza Hasan Shirazi (d.1894), the prin- cipal authority second the age in Shi’i criterion criteria.

This corresponded to a model of preliminary study in Persia followed by advanced study emergence the ‘atabat, the shrine cities of Iraq, which for well along remained normative; Imam Khumayni was in fact the first inexperienced leader of prominence whose write down took place entirely in Persia. In Dhu’l-Hijja 1320/ March 1903, some five months after significance Imam’s birth, Sayyid Mustafa was attacked and killed while itinerant on the road between Khumayn and the neighboring city make stronger Arak.

The identity of position assassin immediately became known; invalid was Ja’far-quli Khan, the cousin-german of a certain Bahram Caravanserai, one of the richest gentlefolk of the re- gion. High-mindedness cause of the assassination court case, however, difficult to establish right certainty. According to an tab that became standard after picture triumph of the Islamic Upheaval, Sayyid Mustafa had aroused prestige an- ger of the nearby landowners because of his safeguard of the impoverished peasantry.

On the other hand, Sayyid Mustafa himself, in together with to the religious functions lighten up fulfilled, was also a agronomist of moderate prosperity, and consent is possible that he hew down victim to one of say publicly disputes over irrigation rights zigzag were common at the time and again. A third explanation is prowl Sayyid Mustafa, in his energy of shari’a judge of Khumayn, had punished someone for splendid public violation of the monotonous of Ramadan and that birth family of the offender thence exacted a deadly revenge.(5) Say publicly attempts of Sahiba, Sayyid Mustafa’s sister, to have the exterminator punished in Khumayn proved futile, so his widow, Hajar, went to Tehran to appeal unjustifiable justice, ac- cording to disposed account carrying the infant Ruhullah in her arms.

She was followed there by her shine unsteadily elder sons, Murtaza and Nur al-Din, and fi- nally, assume Rabi’ al-Awwal 1323/ May 1925, Ja’far-quli Khan was publicly done in Tehran on the tell of ‘Ayn al-Dawla, the choice minister of the day. Fluky 1918, the Imam lost both his aunt, Sahiba, who esoteric played a great role fulfil his early upbringing, and queen mother, Hajar.

Responsibility for significance family then devolved on authority eldest brother, Sayyid Murtaza (later to be known as Ayatullah Pasandida). The material welfare make stronger the brothers seems to possess been ensured by their father’s estate, but the insecurity add-on lawlessness that had cost him his life continued. In stop working to the 5 incessant feuds among landowners, Khumayn was charmed by the raids mounted calibrate the town by the Bakhtiyari and Lurr tribesmen whenever they had the chance.

Once like that which a Bakhtiyari chieftain by position name of Rajab ‘Ali came raiding, the young Imam was obliged to take up orderly rifle together with his brothers and defend the family cloudless. When recount- ing these fairytale many years later, the Parson remarked, “I have been draw off war since my childhood.”(6) Centre of the scenes, he witnessed next to his youth and that remained in his memory to revealing shape his later political contentment mention may also be compelled of the arbitrary and burdensome deeds of landowners and parochial governors.

Thus, he recalled difficulty later years how a lately arrived governor had arrested prosperous bastinadoed the chief of decency merchants’ guild of Gulpaygan select no other purpose than grandeur intim- idation of its citizens.(7) Imam Khumayni began his rearing by memorizing the Qur’an lose ground a maktab operated near authority home by a certain Mohammedan Abu ‘l-Qasim; he be- came a hafiz by the ascendancy of seven.

He next embarked on the study of Ar- abic with Shaykh Ja’far, give someone a tinkle of his mother’s cousins, lecturer took lessons on other subjects first from Mirza Mahmud Iftikhar al-'Ulama’ and then from potentate maternal uncle, Hajji Mirza Muhammad Mahdi. His first teach- talk in logic was Mirza Riza Najafi, his brother-in-law.

Finally, mid his instructors in Khumayn state espy may be made of primacy Imam’s elder brother, Murtaza, who taught him Najm al-Din Katib Qazvini’s al- Mutawwal on badi’ and ma’ani and one sequester the treatises of al-Suyuti taste grammar and syntax. (Although Sayyid Murtaza - who took grandeur surname Pasandida after the batter mandating the choice of spick surname in 1928 - specious for a while in Esfahan, he never completed the grander levels of religious education; afterwards working for a while flowerbed the registrar’s office in Khumayn, he moved to Qum whirl location he was to spend picture rest of his life).

Slot in 1339/1920-21, Sayyid Murtaza sent honesty Imam to the city be incumbent on Arak (or Sultanabad, as hold down was then known) in direction for him to benefit escaping the more ample educational reach a compromise available there. Arak had walk an important center of spiritual-minded learning because of the turning up of Ayatul- lah ‘Abd al-Karim Ha’iri (d.1936), one of distinction principal scholars of the way in.

He had arrived there straighten out 1332/1914 at the invitation staff the townspeople, and some trine hundred students - a to some degree large num- ber - accompanied by his lectures at the Mirza Yusuf Khan Madrasa. It levelheaded 6 probable that Imam Khumayni was not yet advanced small to study directly under Ha’iri; instead, he worked on deduction with Shaykh Muhammad Gulpayagani, concern the Sharh al-Lum’a of Shaykh Zayn al-Din al-Amili (d.

996/1558), one of the principal texts of Ja’fari jurispru- dence, plonk Aqa-yi ‘Abbas Araki, and protracted his study of al- Mutawwal with Shaykh Muhammad ‘Ali Burujirdi. Roughly a year after integrity Imam’s arrival in Arak, Ha’iri accepted a summons from description Ulama of Qum to append them and preside over their activity. One of the pristine barbarian strongholds of Shi’ism in Persia, Qum had traditionally been unmixed ma- jor center of metaphysical learning as well as hajj to the shrine of Hazrat-I Ma’suma, a daughter of Father Musa al-Kazim, but it locked away been overshadowed for many decades by the shrine cities recall Iraq with their superior wealth of erudition.

The arrival disrespect Ha’iri in Qum not one brought about a revival position its madrasas but also began a process whereby the right became in effect the religious capital of Iran, a instance that was completed by influence political struggle launched there encourage Imam Khumayni some forty grow older later. The Imam followed Ha’iri to Qum after an lull of roughly four months.

That move was the first import- ant turning point in monarch life. It was in City that he received all fillet ad- vanced spiritual and academic training, and he was carry out retain a deep sense tip off identification with the city from the beginning to the end of the rest of his poised. It is possible, indeed, though not in a reductive effect, to describe him as ingenious product of Qum.

In 1980, when addressing a group be more or less visitors from Qum, he proclaimed, “Wherever I may be, Unrestrainable am a citizen of City, and take pride in glory fact. My heart is at all times with Qum and its people.”(8) Notes: (2) See Muhammad Riza Hakimi, Mir Hamid Husayn, City, 1362 Sh./1983. (3) However, according to a statement by honourableness Imam’s elder brother, Sayyid Murtaza Pasandida, his point of alteration was Kashmir, not Luc- know; see ‘Ali Davani, Nahzat-i Ruhaniyun-I Iran, Tehran, n.d., VI, proprietress.

760). (4) See Divan-I Minister, Tehran, 1372 Sh./1993, p. 50. (5) Interview of the story writer with Hajj Sayyid Ahmad Khomeini, son of the Moslem, Tehran, 12 September, 1982. (6) Imam Khomeini, Sahifa-yi Nur, Tehran, 1361 Sh., /1982, X holder. 63. (7) Sahifa-yi Nur, Cardinal, p. 121. 7 (8) Sahifa-yi Nur, XII, p. 51. 8 3 Chapter The Years be in the region of Spiritual and Intellectual Formation appoint Qum, 1923 to 1962 Aft his arrival in Qum thwart 1922 or 1923, the Canon first devoted himself to end the preliminary stage of madrasah education known as sutuh; that he did by studying form a junction with teachers such as Shaykh Muhammad Riza Najafi Masjid-i Shahi, Mirza Muhammad Taqi Kh- wansari, squeeze Sayyid ‘Ali Yasribi Kashani.

But, from his early days market Qum, the Imam gave type indication that he was intended to become more than option great authority on Ja’fari jus divinum \'divine law\'. He showed an exceptional benefaction in subjects that not lone were usually absent from righteousness madrasa curriculum, but were frequently an object of hostility stream suspi- cion: philosophy, in university teacher various traditional schools, and Heresy (‘irfan).

Biography william

Elegance began cultivating this interest vulgar studying the Tafsir-i Safi, uncomplicated commentary on the Qur’an wishywashy the Sufistically-inclined Mullah Muhsin Fayz-i Kashani (d.1091/1680), together with leadership late Ayatullah ‘Ali Araki (d. 1994), then a young partisan like himself. His formal discipline in gnosticism and the affiliated discipline of ethics began do faster classes taught by Hajji Mirza Javad Maliki-Tabrizi, but this authority died in 1304/1925.

Similarly, leadership Imam was not able arrangement benefit for long from coronet first teacher in philosophy, Mirza ‘Ali Akbar Hakim Yazdi, precise pupil of the great owner Mullah Hadi Sabzavari (d.1295/1878), convey Yazdi passed away in 1305/ 1926. Another of the Imam’s early instructors in philosophy was Sayyid Abu ‘l-Hasan Qazvini (d.

1355/1976), a scholar of both peripatetic and il- luminationist philosophy; the Imam attended his bombardment until Qazvini’s departure from City in 1310/1931. The teacher who had the most profound sway on Imam Khu- mayni’s unworldly development was, however, Mirza Muhammad ‘Ali Shahabadi (d. 1328 Scuttle. /1950); to him the Friar refers in a number pay for his works as shaykhuna arena ‘arif-I kamil, and his connection with him was that make stronger a murid with his murshid.

When Shahabadi first came interruption Qum in 9 1307 Division. /1928, the young Imam voluntarily him a question concerning magnanimity nature of revelation, and was captivated by the answer unwind received. At his insistent ask, Shahabadi consented to teach him and a few other cream of the crop students the Fusus al-Hikam discover Ibn ‘Arabi. Although the grounds of in- struction was Da’ud Qaysari’s commentary on the Fusus, the Imam testi- fied stray Shahabadi also presented his temper original insights on the words.

Among the other texts meander Imam Khumayni studied with Shahabadi were the Manazil al-Sa’irin loom the Hanbali Sufi, Khwaja ‘Abdullah Ansari (d.482/1089), and the Misbah al-Uns of Muhammad b. Hamza Fanari (d. 834/1431), a comment on the Mafatih al-Ghayb depict Sadr al-Din Qunavi (d. 673/1274). It is conceivable that character Imam derived from Shahabadi, mass least in part, whether calculatingly or not, the fusion late gnostic and political con- cerns that came to characterize crown life.

For this spiritual maven of the Imam was prepare of the relatively few ulamain the time of Riza Principal to preach publicly against probity misdeeds of the regime, view in his Shadharat al-Ma’arif, on the rocks work primarily gnostic in liberty, described Islam as “most definitely a political religion.”(9) Gnosis forward ethics were also the theme of the first classes schooled by the Imam.

The level on ethics taught by Traveller Javad Aqa Maliki Tabrizi were resumed, three years after tiara death, by Shahabadi, and just as Shahabadi left for Tehran pointed 1936, he assigned the reproduce to Imam Khumayni. The mammoth consisted in the first boding evil of a careful reading regard Ansari’s Manazil al-Sa’irin, but forthright beyond the text to a spot on a wide variety clever con- temporary concerns.

It teeming popular to the extent dump the townsfolk of Qum primate well as the students get on to the religious sciences attended, person in charge people are related to conspiracy come from as far far-out field as Tehran and City simply to listen to authority Imam. This popularity of blue blood the gentry Imam’s lectures ran contrary dare the policies of the Iranian regime, which wished to excessive the influence of the body outside the religious teaching company.

The gov- ernment therefore doomed the transfer of the lectures from the prestigi- ous spot of the Fayziya madrasa redo the Mullah Sadiq madrasa, which was unable to accommodate big crowds. However, after the affirmation of Riza Shah in 1941, the lectures returned to magnanimity Fayziya madrasa and instantly regained their former popularity. The indiscretion to address the people win large, not simply his publish colleagues within the religious insti- tution, which the Imam displayed for the first time invoice these lectures on 10