When Ayatollah Boroujerdi was the highest ranking clergy in Qom, the Imam was the second top lecturer on divinity in the holy city. His students were welLknown for their mastery of the knowledge and almost all of them reached high clerical ranks later. After Ayatollah Boroujerdi's demise the Imam was one of only a dozen clergies that were nominated for the high clerical order. But he was unwilling to be known as such as that time, recalls Hojatoleslam Emam Jamarani one of the Imam's pupils. On that time Imam as the only top cleric who did not conceal his opposition against the Shah's regime. Emam Jamarani went to see the Imam with his father, when the Imam was released from a prison term he had to serve following his protest against the idea of provincial societies. He speaks on How Imam decided to stay in Jamaran neighborhood.
Following his heart problem a few months after the victory of Islamic revolution the Imam was hospitalized in Tehran for a couple of months. After he was discharged from the hospital he stayed at a house in Darband area in northern Tehran for four months. But he did not like that house because its appearance was too luxurious. Then he threatened that he would go to Qom if a suitable place was not found for him. The doctors had aid that the Imam should not live in Qom in order to avoid being exposed to the city's bad weather. Then his son Ahmad and I began to look for a house in Jamaran area. Then I suggested that if the Imam liked our house we could make it a little bigger by attaching those of my brother and sister. They said they would accept the idea if Mrs. Khomeini liked the house. She did not like the house very much but knew that the Imam will like it. So she gave her approval and we began to do minor repairs and finally the Imam moved to that house .on the 19th of May 1980 The Imam liked the place very much and expressed his satisfaction in various occasions adding that the previous place was not suitable. Although the house did not match the Imam's status, yet he was happy with that. In a speech to his neighbors the Imam said: "We have become your neighbor and that will cause trouble for you." Although the house was chosen in a matter of one day with no prior planning, a couple of days later the Voice of America said that the Imam has moved to a place where air raids were absolutely impossible. But no one had ever thought of this as a factor in choosing the house for the great leader.
After sometime, thee army began to build a helicopter pad for the emergency landing of helicopters and taking the Imam to a safe place if something serious happened. As soon as the Imam found out about this he expressed his dissatisfaction and the work was immediately stopped.
When the war broke out the army engineering unit built a bomb shelter so that the Imam could go there at the time of air raids. Again the Imam said: "Do not build it because I shall not go in this place!" This time they built it but the Imam never went there even for once. A year later when the Nojeh Coup was launched the officials urged the Imam to leave the house for one night as his life was in danger. places near the Imam's house. but he never showed any sign of fear or worry. When he was asked to go to the bomb shelter, he said that he wanted to stay in the open like the soldier who was on guard outside the house. He insisted that there was no difference between his life and that of the soldier.
The Imam even faced death with the same certainty. In one of his last days, a close relative of his told him: "It's nothing. You will get better." And the Imam said that birth and death were not so important.
The Imam stayed in that house for several years and never went out of it. He was very modest. Most of the time he remained silent. He spoke only when it was really necessary. And when he spoke, it was brief and calculated. Most of the time he was thinking. He observed a certain order and discipline in his daily life. He was always on time for everything particularly for his classes. He always listened attentively to what others said and this gave a certain sense of confidence to anyone who spoke. He was a very intelligent man and knew what others thought.
And when it came to the issue of burial, based on his father's views, his son determined that the burial place should be close to the graves of the martyrs, and at the same time, it must be a place that could accommodate all those who came for the funeral. And so was the site of his tomb chosen.
Following his heart problem a few months after the victory of Islamic revolution the Imam was hospitalized in Tehran for a couple of months. After he was discharged from the hospital he stayed at a house in Darband area in northern Tehran for four months. But he did not like that house because its appearance was too luxurious. Then he threatened that he would go to Qom if a suitable place was not found for him. The doctors had aid that the Imam should not live in Qom in order to avoid being exposed to the city's bad weather. Then his son Ahmad and I began to look for a house in Jamaran area. Then I suggested that if the Imam liked our house we could make it a little bigger by attaching those of my brother and sister. They said they would accept the idea if Mrs. Khomeini liked the house. She did not like the house very much but knew that the Imam will like it. So she gave her approval and we began to do minor repairs and finally the Imam moved to that house .on the 19th of May 1980 The Imam liked the place very much and expressed his satisfaction in various occasions adding that the previous place was not suitable. Although the house did not match the Imam's status, yet he was happy with that. In a speech to his neighbors the Imam said: "We have become your neighbor and that will cause trouble for you." Although the house was chosen in a matter of one day with no prior planning, a couple of days later the Voice of America said that the Imam has moved to a place where air raids were absolutely impossible. But no one had ever thought of this as a factor in choosing the house for the great leader.
After sometime, thee army began to build a helicopter pad for the emergency landing of helicopters and taking the Imam to a safe place if something serious happened. As soon as the Imam found out about this he expressed his dissatisfaction and the work was immediately stopped.
When the war broke out the army engineering unit built a bomb shelter so that the Imam could go there at the time of air raids. Again the Imam said: "Do not build it because I shall not go in this place!" This time they built it but the Imam never went there even for once. A year later when the Nojeh Coup was launched the officials urged the Imam to leave the house for one night as his life was in danger. places near the Imam's house. but he never showed any sign of fear or worry. When he was asked to go to the bomb shelter, he said that he wanted to stay in the open like the soldier who was on guard outside the house. He insisted that there was no difference between his life and that of the soldier.
The Imam even faced death with the same certainty. In one of his last days, a close relative of his told him: "It's nothing. You will get better." And the Imam said that birth and death were not so important.
The Imam stayed in that house for several years and never went out of it. He was very modest. Most of the time he remained silent. He spoke only when it was really necessary. And when he spoke, it was brief and calculated. Most of the time he was thinking. He observed a certain order and discipline in his daily life. He was always on time for everything particularly for his classes. He always listened attentively to what others said and this gave a certain sense of confidence to anyone who spoke. He was a very intelligent man and knew what others thought.
And when it came to the issue of burial, based on his father's views, his son determined that the burial place should be close to the graves of the martyrs, and at the same time, it must be a place that could accommodate all those who came for the funeral. And so was the site of his tomb chosen.
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