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The Wife of Imam Khomeini Imam Khomeini's wife, Khanum Khadija Thaqafi, was from a very religious family. She was born in Tehran in 1913. Her late father, Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Thaqafi, was one of the great scholars of his time and was a student of the grand Ayatullah Hae'rri Yazdi. Imam Khomeini's wife was very intelligent, and showed great interest in pursuing her studies. Imam Khomeini taught her Arabic. She was also very good at poetry. They had eight children: three sons and five daughters. Three of their children died during their childhood. Imam Khomeini's children helped their father to achieve his goals. The Imam's wife brought her children up very well. She made sure that the children respected their father and provided an environment which allowed her children and the Imam to excel in every aspect. In return, Imam Khomeini himself insisted that his children respect their mother and made sure the children looked up to her. Thus the children had their utmost respect for both their parents and made sure that they served their parents well. Apart from respecting his wife, Imam Khomeini also loved his wife very much and always expressed his affection towards her. Their love for one another was admired by friends and family. The Imam's wife was a real and sincere religious woman. She would never lie and talk bad of anyone. She always liked to do good deeds and helped people in whatever way she could. She was a very wise and patient woman and endured many difficulties. That is why Imam Khomeini respected her a lot. At home, Khanum Khadija provided a peaceful and stress-free environment for Imam Khomeini when the movements against the Pahlavi regime began in 1962. When Imam Khomeini was arrested and sentenced to death in 1963, his wife showed great tolerance and their home became a place where many concerned people visited. The Imam's wife portrayed strength which in turn gave strength to the people. After Imam Khomeini was released from prison and was detained in the Qeytariah area of Tehran, a new period of patience and struggle began. Khanum Khadija moved to Tehran to be with her husband, who was under house arrest. This was a huge boost to the Imam's morale. When the Imam was freed and went back to Qum, large crowds of people and scholars came to visit him. Respecting all the imam's guests, treating them in an honourable way, and making sure they were all served with tea, was a difficult job but was managed perfectly by the Imam's wife. The events which took place in 1964, like Imam Khomeini's famous speech regarding capitulation, the sudden attack on the Imam's house during the night, the Imam and Hajj Agha Mustafa's arrest and deportation, and having no news of the Imam, could have only been endured by a truly patient and courageous woman such as Khanum Khadija. Khanum Khadija accompanied her husband when he was taken to Iraq. She left behind her family and her children to be near her husband. She felt very lonely and missed home but never mentioned it to the Imam. She bore everything patiently. In Najaf, Khanum Khadija had a great relationship with the wives of scholars such as the wives of Ayatollah Khui and Shaheed al-Sadr. Thus the scholars of Najaf were very impressed by both the Imam and his wife. Agha Mustafa's martyrdom while they were in exile, was a very bitter and sorrowful experience for the Imam and his wife. When the revolution was finally over, Khanum Khadija's sorrow increased, as her son was not there to witness this great success. After the revolution, Imam Khomeini's wife provided a calm and suitable environment for the people interested in visiting Imam Khomeini at his home. She cooked simple food for the Imam who was given strict orders from the doctor to abstain from having certain ingredients. Khanum Khadija knew that she wasn't only a host to family and friends, therefore she received anyone who wanted to see Imam Khomeini and his family at their home. Her hospitality was famous among people in Qum, Najaf and Tehran. After 60 years of marriage, Imam Khomeini passed away. She bore all the difficulties patiently. The loss of her son was indeed a tragedy, but later she also lost ten more members of her family, such as her son-in-law, mother, father, sister and brother. During the later years of her life, Khanum Khadija still managed her time and chose when the family should travel, when to receive guests and when to visit family and friends. The last seven months of her life, were difficult as she was very sick. However she never complained or showed that she was in pain. Finally in 2007 she passed away and was buried near the Imam. https://www.facebook.com/enlightening.inspirations telegram.me/enlightening.inspiration