Iman Khomeini: Life, Thought and Legacy by Abdar Rahman Koya

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A biography of the late Iman Khomeini - a leading scholar of the Shi'i, an author, a profound Islamic leader and reformer. He is responsible for the establishment of the new Islamic government and replaced the last Iranian Monarchy, the Pahlavi. The following snapshot was taken from the appendix to explain why.  1925-1941:  Reza Khan established new Pahlavi dynasty. Reza refomrs modelled on Turkey's Atartuk. Modern dress decreed for men in 1929 while women forced to give up hijab. The Imam defeated a ruler - Reza Pahlavi, the western created Shah of Iran- whose regime was at the peak of its strength, and enjoyed the full and unlimited support of Western powers. Iman Khomeini's anchestor had migrated from Nishapur to Lucknow (India) in late 18th century. His grandfather left Lucknow in mid nineteen century to visit the Imam Ali tomb, and then get married and settle in the city of Khumayn. (later during the islamic revolution shah regime used this Indian element and depict him as an alien and traitorous element in iranian society.) Iman Khomeini was born in 1902. In March 1903, Khomeini was just 5 months old when he lost his father and had arrived in Tehran with his mother and auntie to seek for justice. His mother Hajar and aunt Sahiba, had played a great role in his early upbringing. Iman Khomein had became a hafiz at age of 7. He received early education in the city of Arak (or Sultanabad) and Qum. Qum had traditionally been a major centre of religious learning. In Qum he received advanced spiritual and intellectual training. It was also in Qum in 1963 when Iman Khomeini was arrested while having a meeting of his colleagues to press upon the necessity of opposing the Shah's plans  -  a six-point program of reform called the White Revolution, an American-inspired package of measures designed to give his regime a liberal and progressive facade. He was arrested several times, before sending for exile. Khomeini spent more than 14 years in exile. He was sent to Turkey on 1964 on the hope that in exile he would fade from popular memory. In Turkey he was forbade from wearing the cloak and turban of the Muslim scholar. In September 5, 1965, Ayatollah Khomeini left Turkey for Najaf in Iraq, where he was sent to spend thirteen years in exile. It was just before the Iran-Iraq war when he left Najaf to Paris, over the invitation from other exiled Iranians. Two weeks after the Shah fled Iran, on January 16 1979, Imam Khomeini had returned to Iran triumphantly and on March 31 1979, a new Islamic government was established to replace the monarchy. Less than 6  months before his death, on January 4, 1989, he sent Mikhail Gorbachev a letter in which he predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union and the disappearance of communism: In his writing “The basic problem of your country has nothing to do with ownership, the economy, or freedom; it is the lack of a true belief in God, the same problem that has drawn the West into a blind alley of triviality and purposelessness.” He has invited Gorbachev to examnine Islam as an alternative and has offered soviet scholars to study in Qum. A year later, the soviet union was dissolved. The full script of the letter is available here On June 3, 1989, after eleven days in hospital for an operation to stop internal bleeding, Iman Khomeini lapsed into a critical condition and died. some 9 millions of people has attended his funeral. This is part of the writing and declaration by Imam Khomenei, which I found interesting -perhaps for future reading. The greatest disaster that befell Islam was the usurpation of rule by Muawiyah from Imam Ali (a.s.). This disaster was even worse than the tragedy of Karbala, and the misfortunes that descended upon Imam Ali and Islam at that time were worse than those which befell Imam Hussain (a.s.). The greatest disaster of all at that time was that they did not allow the people to perceive the true meaning of Islam.

A biography of the late Iman Khomeini - a leading scholar of the Shi'i, an author, a profound Islamic leader and reformer. He is responsible for the establishment of the new Islamic government and replaced the last Iranian Monarchy, the Pahlavi. The following snapshot was taken from the appendix to explain why. 

1925-1941:  Reza Khan established new Pahlavi dynasty. Reza refomrs modelled on Turkey's Atartuk. Modern dress decreed for men in 1929 while women forced to give up hijab.

The Imam defeated a ruler - Reza Pahlavi, the western created Shah of Iran- whose regime was at the peak of its strength, and enjoyed the full and unlimited support of Western powers.

Iman Khomeini's anchestor had migrated from Nishapur to Lucknow (India) in late 18th century. His grandfather left Lucknow in mid nineteen century to visit the Imam Ali tomb, and then get married and settle in the city of Khumayn. (later during the islamic revolution shah regime used this Indian element and depict him as an alien and traitorous element in iranian society.)

Iman Khomeini was born in 1902. In March 1903, Khomeini was just 5 months old when he lost his father and had arrived in Tehran with his mother and auntie to seek for justice. His mother Hajar and aunt Sahiba, had played a great role in his early upbringing.

Iman Khomein had became a hafiz at age of 7. He received early education in the city of Arak (or Sultanabad) and Qum. Qum had traditionally been a major centre of religious learning. In Qum he received advanced spiritual and intellectual training. It was also in Qum in 1963 when Iman Khomeini was arrested while having a meeting of his colleagues to press upon the necessity of opposing the Shah's plans  -  a six-point program of reform called the White Revolution, an American-inspired package of measures designed to give his regime a liberal and progressive facade. He was arrested several times, before sending for exile.

Khomeini spent more than 14 years in exile. He was sent to Turkey on 1964 on the hope that in exile he would fade from popular memory. In Turkey he was forbade from wearing the cloak and turban of the Muslim scholar.

In September 5, 1965, Ayatollah Khomeini left Turkey for Najaf in Iraq, where he was sent to spend thirteen years in exile. It was just before the Iran-Iraq war when he left Najaf to Paris, over the invitation from other exiled Iranians.

Two weeks after the Shah fled Iran, on January 16 1979, Imam Khomeini had returned to Iran triumphantly and on March 31 1979, a new Islamic government was established to replace the monarchy.

Less than 6  months before his death, on January 4, 1989, he sent Mikhail Gorbachev a letter in which he predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union and the disappearance of communism: In his writing

“The basic problem of your country has nothing to do with ownership, the economy, or freedom; it is the lack of a true belief in God, the same problem that has drawn the West into a blind alley of triviality and purposelessness.”

He has invited Gorbachev to examnine Islam as an alternative and has offered soviet scholars to study in Qum. A year later, the soviet union was dissolved. The full script of the letter is available here

On June 3, 1989, after eleven days in hospital for an operation to stop internal bleeding, Iman Khomeini lapsed into a critical condition and died. some 9 millions of people has attended his funeral.

This is part of the writing and declaration by Imam Khomenei, which I found interesting -perhaps for future reading.

The greatest disaster that befell Islam was the usurpation of rule by Muawiyah from Imam Ali (a.s.). This disaster was even worse than the tragedy of Karbala, and the misfortunes that descended upon Imam Ali and Islam at that time were worse than those which befell Imam Hussain (a.s.). The greatest disaster of all at that time was that they did not allow the people to perceive the true meaning of Islam.