Khomeini: Life of the Ayatollah

by Baqer Moin

The Ayatollah Khomeini was the most radical Muslim leader of this age. In transforming himself from a traditional Muslim theologian into the charismatic Iranian ruler who took on the world, Khomeini launched an Islamic revival movement that, with the collapse of communism, quickly evolved for some as the centre-piece in the pantheon of western demonology, and for others as the inspiration for spiritual and political rebirth. Whether viewed as a hero by his supporters or as a villain by his enemies, Khomeini was undoubtedly one of the seminal figures of the twentieth century, whose influence will extend some way into the new millennium.

Baqer Moin here explores how and why this frail octogenarian, dressed in the traditional robes of a Muslim cleric, overthrew the secular Shah of Iran and became the spiritual leader of a new and militant Islamic regime. Still an enigma in the West, Khomeini transformed the Middle East and the world. But where did the man come from? What was his childhood and family background? What lay behind his implacable opposition to the Shah? What role did the turbulent events in Iran during his youth play in shaping Khomeini's political perceptions? What changed him from an obscure traditional theologian with mystical and poetic inclinations into a combative and highly vengeful radical? How will his vision of an international community of Muslims, a kind of Islamic Internationale, affect the Middle East?

Drawing on many exclusive personal interviews with Khomeini's associates, on unpublished new materials and on the author's firsthand experience in Islamic seminaries, this biography provides a fascinating, well-documented and highly accessible analysis of the life and thought of one of the most controversial leaders of the late twentieth century.

Genres: Biography, Iran, Islam, History, Middle East, Religion, Politics

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In the cemetery some of the mourners climbed from the top of the walls onto trees and the roofs of double decker buses. The roof of one bus collapsed, injuring those inside. Khomeini had recommended that mourners be patient in face of death: ‘Scratching one’s face and body on the death of anyone and causing harm to oneself are not acceptable … Baring the chest is not acceptable except on the death of one’s father or brother. It is an obligatory caution not to raise the voice too loudly while crying for the dead.’ It is ironic to compare this with what happened in Tehran during his own funeral and the first seven days of mourning. The Iranian media reported over 10,000 people suffering from self-inflicted injuries, exhaustion, heat, loss of consciousness and the crush. Dozens of people lost their lives. It was an extraordinary event. But, after all, Khomeini, viewed from whatever perspective, was not an ordinary man.”

[عبدالرحمن أبوذكري · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best biographies I ever read, and it is absolutely the most catching biography I ever read for Khomeini; comprehensive, unbiased and the author is a hell of a good writer. It is a must read for any one who is interested in the field.

[Fuad Karimli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A splendid example of how a biography of a political figure should be written. Much respect to the author of this book who through his writing presents an extensive knowledge of the way of life and culture of Iran.

This is a very valuable book as it is not only a biography but also engages the reader with all aspects of life in Iran as well as its history.

The reader gets a glimpse of the late Ayatollah's personality, not something foreigners usually come across as the tainted image of him throughout western media. Who knew the previous supreme leader of Iran and the founder of the Islamic Republic was a lover of poetry, philosophy and was a mystic who hated the orthodox clergy?

[Julian Karas · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his day, his face was one of the most identifiable in the world; despite that, not much was really known about the Ayatollah in the West. This biography by BBC Persia specialist and Shi'ite seminarian Baqer Moin fills in a great deal of this gap in public knowledge; along the way he has also provided us with a history of Iran going back over a hundred years. The book is educational, absorbing and enjoyable. You get a very detailed look at the different factors involved in the collapse of the Shah's regime, and the ensuing revolution. And you get the roots of Khomeini's family background in the tribal areas around the city of Qom. It would have been interesting to know more about that time, and how Khomeini was affected by the murder of his father at the hands of highway brigands, and the death of his mother a few years later in a cholera epidemic. It happened so long ago that I imagine there just wasn't that much more information at hand.
It's hard to believe now how obscure the concept of "political Islam" was up until a few decades ago. It was people like Khomeini, who, in his publication "The Governance of the Jurist (Velayet-e-Faqih)", laid out the foundations of Islamic government that is the basis for a nation state whose mettle shows no signs of weakness after nearly forty years in the Middle East pressure cooker. As original as his ideas were, it's hard to see how he could ever have swept into power without his wily political acumen, and willingness to break ranks with the Western-imposed world order. It's a fascinating story, and Khomeini's extreme force of will was what was able to carry that revolution over the top. Can we be at all surprised that he was able to defy Carter and his foreign policy so completely that they still hold that grudge forty years later?
The most astonishing portion of the book has to be the chapters that discuss Khomeini's mysticism, and his attachment to the old medieval Persian poetic tradition. It's fascinating to think about how influential that literary heritage was in his life, and poetry of which he wrote several volumes. This information was totally unknown in the West before the publication of this biography.
There was always an indefinable something that was different about Khomeini; I still remember the news reports of him stepping off that jet plane into the huge waiting crowds in Tehran. That scene doesn't really fit our Western sense of the rational forward motion of historical development. So it disturbs our serenity and Western sense of complacency: it's not supposed to be that way. An eighty year old man in a robe and turban isn't supposed to be able to overthrow a modern westernizing country.
But it happened! Great book, anyone interested in the Middle East would learn a lot from reading it.

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1979 to 1989, Khomeini's word was law in Iran, and his off-hand comments or private statements often became official policy. Having spent those ten years humiliating the monarchists, the liberals and the clergy in almost equal measure (the clergy could get away with a lot more, but Khomeini was never above cutting down even the most senior Ayatollahs if they stood in his way), Khomeini ultimately consolidated his power absolutely, through a mixture of astute politics, personal charisma and huge bloodshed.

This is a bloody story indeed. Iran was not exactly free under the violent and arbitrary Shah, but the alliance of the liberals and the clerics that overthrew him was soon betrayed, with Khomeini cutting the liberals lose, and then setting about reining in any dissent from the clergy.

As Khomeini neared the end of his life, in an irony of ironies, the law had to be amended so that Khomeini's successor no longer needed to be a Marja (a very senior Shi'a jurist). The reason why? No Marjas were suitable for the job. None of them had the necessary commitment to the very specific system that Khomeini had built - a system neither traditionally religious, nor traditionally aligned with the laws of Shi'a Islam. It was something novel. This book spends a fair amount of time examining the different bodies that Khomeini put together and the reasoning behind them.

What I liked in this book:
- Khomeini is considered from many angles. It is a thoroughgoing portrait.
- Figures that sometimes only get cursory treatment were examined in depth: for example, Khomeini's one-time close associate Abolhassan Banisadr, the short lived liberal prime minister Mehdi Bazargan and the final prime minister under Mohammed Reza Shah, Shapour Bakhtiar. All three spent a brief period in the office of prime minister, and all three were ousted for different reasons. They are all quite well fleshed out.
- A lot of time is spent considering the influence of Khomeini's time in Turkey, Iraq and France. This was interesting.

A few things I didn't like as much:
- Mir-Hossein Mousavi is an enormous figure both in the Iran of the period and in the Iran of 21st century. He is, of course, mentioned, but the treatment is brief compared to many other figures.
- Ali Khamenei is also not as fleshed out as one might expect. He takes centre-stage in the very final chapters, but figures like, for example, Banisadr, seem to have a more thorough treatment, despite Khamenei's enduring power and influence in Iran to the present day.

But all in all, this is a fantastic biography. It's very engaging from start to finish. I'm glad that I picked it up.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the most comprehensive biography on the late Imam available, the book truly brings home what an extraordinary man the Ayatollah truly was.
For those wanting a detailed history of Post-1979 Iran, this is not the book. There are many compelling titles available on that subject matter. However, for an intimate portrait of the man who spearheaded not only a Revolution, but an Islamic revival, this book is simpy indispensable.
As someone who was aware of the Ayatollah for a very long time, having watched his funeral on the evening news as a young boy, Khomeini was always something of an enigma for this reader. He truly remains an enigma, as the book reveals a truly unique and contradictory man. On one hand, an ascetic much like Gandhi, but in no way holding such a commitment to non-violence, Khomeini stands unique among revolutionaries as among the very few bereft of worldly ambition.
A key question this reader sought to answer was the key to his charisma. How did such an austere, forbidding looking man win the hearts of millions? For this reader, a satisfying answer has yet to be found, but the best indicator this reader can garner is that it lay in his asceticism.
Khomeini, is frequently misunderstood as being an orthodox Islamic fundamentalist, but in other ways he was anything but.
Khomeini studied mystical Islamic philosophy that in certain circles would get their proponents flogged, excommunicated or worse. The Imam turned the traditional Shi'a notions of leadership on its head with his notion of Velayat e Faqih. Rather than awaiting the return of the Hidden Imam, until then an orthodox notion of Shi'a Islam, Khomeini offered a blueprint for Islamic governance that was truly revolutionary.
None of this review attempts to portray Khomeini as a Saint, nor endorse his system of government nor his decisions. Rather, this review seeks to provide an insight into what the reader will garner from delving into this comprehensive biography of a truly enigmatic figure.
Baqer Moin's biography provides the best whole life biography of Khomeini available. Many questions may remain unanswered, however, future biographers and historians may grapple with this, but for now, this is the best available.

[Eve Javey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned so much! Was able to update my knowledge about the 1979 revolution for which I’m grateful.

The rise of Khomeini reminded me of what is happening in the US right now which was…interesting. As always, history provides endless fascinating lessons.

My new standard for a 5 star biography of prominent leaders in history is the Stalin book I read, and unfortunately the writing in this book didn’t come anywhere near Montefiore’s masterpiece.

Regardless, I’m really glad to have acquired more knowledge about my ancestor’s country.

[Ejaz Husseini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khomeini review: welcome to the revolution…


Khomeini:
Life of the Ayatollah 

By “Baqer Moin”


In his epic book, that took him ten years to complete, Baqer takes us on the comprehensively written journey of a man named ‘Rohullah Khomeini’, and shows us how one man and God, can change the course of history. Seen from any perspective, he ends his book saying, Khomeini was not an ordinary man. From his childhood to the anticipated revolution, then from the post-revolution to his death – this book is undeniably thrilling and grand.


As I went into this book, I was more interested in the life of the man himself than the revolution he had brought in Iran. And while you do get a very complete picture of him, from childhood to his last days, much of it is, however, intertwined with the famous, or infamous, revolution. As you come out of the book, you then know that Khomeini was the revolution; the revolution, Khomeini.

Since the majority of this book is around the revolution, it not only involves a man who so devotedly spent his whole life to bring a change he sought so essential, it also is about a country, a movement, a game of politics, and about the whole journey. There is much more before the revolution, as there is after it.

From early on, Khomeini is portrayed a very unique and determined boy. Not to mention, the legacy of his family was a well-known one, and his childhood, thus rough as a consequence. Losing his father when he was only months old, and his mother some years after, Khomeini was set out for a life completely different than those of his common childhood friends. 

Although there is not much knowledge around his middle ages, from what Baqer could find, it is very clear that Khomeini was a man of sheer faith; a faith that would accompany him in his life full of crushing tragedies and political pressure. And he worked for his faith from the early age. He not only studied Islam in all its entirety, but also philosophy, mysticism and mystic poetry. He wanted to get the entire picture, before he could set out to become the Perfect Man – a man who is in unison with God Himself.

Hosseiniyat, lessons from Karbala where Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) grandchild Hossein was beheaded, for he did not bow to the evil Yazidi and his ill version of Islam, was a great drive for Khomeini in all his life. The Pahlavi dynasty of The Shahs, Khomeini thought, were the exact versions of Yezidis of his day. And since Shah’s rule was implied throughout his life, it is a very mistaken notion that Khomeini brought the revolution, starting some years before, and at 1979 – there is a whole journey to that revolution.

Khomeini saw his own country being torn apart from the inside under the rule of The Shah, but it was too early for him as a young man to do any serious thing about it. What he did was – study and think. These two characteristics of him made him so eloquent that by the time it was his turn to become the leading Ayatollah, he had no doubts and was ready for anything – for he had achieved by then a unison with Allah Himself.

He sacrificed his uprising many times because there were other senior and more knowledgeable Ayatollahs at that time who raised their voices against the cruel government. But even in his mid-ages Khomeini was brave enough to raise a voice against the ranks of his own who kept a neutral status, and led protests of his own as well. Baqer has presented the situation in a very candid and comprehensive way which shows the struggling years of Khomeini well before the revolution – the biggest of them all, his exile.

But during the exile period, in this book we learn a bit about the normal, day to day life of the Ayatollah. Him cooking, him talking to the family he lives with in Turkey, him visiting the grand mosques of Turkey, him going out with his visiting friends and son – these are all the aspects of his life that one would hardly imagine. But Khomeini was very much a normal human most of the times when he was not being an Ayatollah.

By far, my favorite chapters have to be the chapter around revolution. When you have journeyed with this man from more than 10 chapters, you can’t help but feel the rush inside you as the movement to the revolution starts taking place. And when it does – it is a very triumphant moment. It is pure and holy when it happens, as The Shah flees himself. But the aftermath is not so well received by the history.

After you read The Revolution chapter and feel buoyed with the feelings redemption and joy, the following chapters are much harder to follow. Iran gets into a very intense political situation, and with the Iraq-Iran war taking place so brutally at the same time, you then begin to question the Ayatollah as a politician. In words of Baqer “…Khomeini the politician was a powerful fusion. As a mystic, Khomeini was an elitist, but as a theologian he was expedient and as a politician a calculating populist to the point of being opportunistic.”

And when the matter of his succession arrives, you once again feel the tension between Khomeini’s early decisions and then his you-turn when the decisions fails. Khomeini’s hard-and-fast, almost naïve approach to the politics and towards the Islamic Rule in general, makes you think twice about some of his implementations taking place regardless of the consequences – and at times, it even shocks you.

One of the parts in this book that I was looking forward to was the infamous fatwa that Khomeini issued against the British author Salman Rushdie for his book The Satanic Verses. Ever since I came to know about the Satanic Verses, I found real interest in both Rushdie and Khomeini. Since then, I have researched a lot about this fatwa, and I was curious about what Baqer had to say on this issue – and his take is really surprising. The fatwa, the book says, was more for the promotion of the global revolution, than it was for killing Rushdie. I will leave the rest for you to first read, and then think upon.

As a book, Life of the Ayatollah, is very patience-demanding. Since there are many Iranian names, political parties, dates and some really tangled relationships among these – this book is not easy to read, or at least not a quick-read. Give this book time, and start this book with some pre-knowledge about the revolution and the governmental structure of Iran, and I am sure you will have a thrilling reading experience. I would suggest a video: Iranian Revolution by channel CrashCourse on YouTube, as a pre-requisite for this book.

An Excerpt:

“Intoxicated by the cosmic vision of a mystic and bound by the firm belief of a jurisprudent who carries out God’s command, Khomeini the politician was a powerful fusion. As a mystic, Khomeini was an elitist, but as a theologian he was expedient and as a politician a calculating populist to the point of being opportunistic. He believed in the use of force and, if need be, violence. He felt he was entitled to order the execution of thousands of infidels without shedding a tear. For Khomeini the mystic, when Man reaches a state of unity with God, his anger becomes that of God.”

 

Baqer has put very little opinion of his own in this book, and I think it is very important not to get subjective while writing a biography. But I also believe that the writer should, however, sprinkle some of his own thoughts in there as well so that we could get to know what his opinions are. For me, as a follower, and not a fan, Khomeini is a great idol. His sheer faith and standstill power against the political backlash both from the outside and in, combined with his rich history of eloquent knowledge and pursuit of God, Khomeini is one great man. Period. Baqer says, he was no ordinary man from whatever way you look at him; I say, he is one of the great examples of a single man with faith in God, who can stand head-strong and firm against this crushing and cruel world – and win!  


My Praise for the Novel: 

How does a revolution take place?
Read this book and you would know.
Thrilling and exemplary!


Ratings: 5/5 *****









A review by: Ejaz Hosseini
November 2, 2019

[Mehmet Koç · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baker Moin'in kitabı, 20.Yüzyılın en çarpıcı devrimlerinden birinin Lideri Ayetullah Humeyni üzerine yazılmış en iyi biyografilerden biri...

2005'te Türkçeye de tercüme edilen kitabın yazarı Moin, 1979 Devrimi'nden önce İngiltere'ye giderek, uzun yıllar BBC Farsça Servisi'nin Direktörlüğünü yapmış. Moin, gençliğinde medrese eğitimi de almış olduğu için Şiiliğin dini literatürüne de hakim, bu yönüyle kitabın yazımında diğer biyograficilere göre birkaç adım öne çıkıyor.

Kitap temelde Humeyni'nin üç temel yönüne odaklanıyor: Kararlı bir politikacı ve mücadeleciliğinin yanında, derin bir arif/mutasavvıf yönü ve dini yönden yetkin bir ilahiyatçı/fakih olması... Kitap Ayetullah'ın kişiliğinin bu üç temel boyutu ekseninde kaleme alınmış. Her ne kadar 1979'a kadar olan bölümde objektiflik muhafaza edilse de, Devrim'den sonraki politikalarında kitabın dili ve yazarın eleştirisinin dozu zaman zaman subjektifliğe kayıyor.

Kitapta, Humeyni'nin 1964-65'teki Bursa sürgünü ve Ayetullah Şeriatmedari başta olmak üzere İran Azerbaycanıyla ilişkilerinin ele alındığı bölümler dikkat çekici...

Neticede, 20.Yüzyıldaki İran siyaseti, sosyolojisi ve ekonomisini anlamlandırabilmek ve Humeyni'yi daha yakından tanıyabilmek açısından, son derece başarılı bir biyografi ve başvuru kitabı...

[Said Abuzeineh · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب من أحوى الكتب التي تناولت حياة الخميني وثورته .. وفيها أنظار وأحداث مهمة تلقي الضوء على شخصيته ووعلى الثورة الإيرانية ومآلاتها
كتاب حدير بالقراءة لكل مهتم بشأن الثورة الإيرانية وصاحبها.

[Qamur Ud Din · Rating 4 out of 5]

Khomeini Review: The Face of Iranian Revolution

By: Baqer Moin
Page Count: 368
Published: December 1st, 1999
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Biography


"Thrilling & Sensational"


First of all, a great appreciation on the ten years efforts of the author, Baqer Moin, who devotedly gave his maximum to complete a very detailed biography of the Grand Ayatollah Rohullah Khomeini. Secondly, the adopted narrative style and the flow of the story were not only engaging but also very breathtaking as the you go on reaching to the climax of this revolutionary event in this book. Further, the extensive research about every possible aspects of Khomeini's life plus telling it very objectively at most, make this book more authentic to read and learn about the Khomeini's life and Iranian Revolution. Thus, make no thoughts on either picking and reading it or not!

From only having heard of the name Khomeini, to getting to know a rich account of his life and his key role in bring Iranian Revolution was truly interesting, moving and inspiring. Prior to reading this book, I actually had no further insights into why and how this very remarkably phenomenal course of revolutionary history came around and shaped by the man, who oddly rose beyond the religiously orthodox perception and action, to seek freedom from westernised secular order ran by the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran since five decades. Guess what? I really want to acknowledge here the fact that this book sufficiently added into my political and historical knowledge. Honestly speaking, I felt that it was truly worth reading in grant total.

While reading this book, my basic objectives were to explore the political dimension of Iranian Revolution and the MAN behind the very revolutionary phenomenon. To my surprise, this book not only helped me in achieving my set objectives but also it proved itself to exceed my prior expections. On one hand, one obviously gets to know the Iranian Revolution and Khomeini, but on the other hand, one essentially gets to know about the revolutionary mind, the thrilling mission, and the dire obsession to change the course of history.

I am very pleased and honored to read this splendid biography of Khomeini and at the same time morally very energetic to impart his supremacy into my mind and heart.

A must read book if you are feeling low or under-esteemed!


Rating 4/5**** ( 6th October, 2020)

[A.J. McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had three great strengths for me. One was that it gave an excellent biographical portrait of the Ayatollah Khomeini, a figure I knew next to nothing about. The second was that it gave an excellent account of the times into which Khomeini was born and the world of Iran into which he was born. The third great strength of the book is that Moin shows how Khomeini as a person and the world into which he was born interacted with each other in such a way as to produce the political colossus who founded the modern day Islamic republic of Iran. Moin takes the story beyond the simple narrative of the good guy West versus the bad guy Iran into a domain in which things make sense from a historical and cultural perspective. A superb biography is one in which the telling of the tale goes beyond the person to his or her wider world, and that is just what this biography does.

[Arijit Chakravarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography is a must read for anyone remotely interested in the history of Iran. It gives a very detailed context about the culture of Iran and the political activities that were happening in Iran from the times of Qajar dynasty till the appointment of Khamenei as the supreme leader.
The book does not present the ayatollah in a monotonic manner rather it presents different aspects of his life and builds a rather interesting story for the reader
It is one of the best written biographies out there

[Michael Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book that details the life of Ayatollah Khomeini from childhood, religious education, mysticism, involvment in politics, exile to Turkey, the 1979 revolution, his theocratic regime, death, and funeral. The most interesting parts of the book were the ones which discussed Khomeini's concept of the Velayat e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist), and his involvement with mysticism and philosophy.

[Casaubon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kötü çeviri. Orjinal dilinden okumak daha iyi.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating biography of Khomeini’s life. Highly recommend.

[Jean Lobrot]

A bit drily written but good to know

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right after I finished, I gave this book only 2 stars. Now, two weeks later, when I'm finally getting around to the review, I think that was too harsh.

This wasn't a bad book. It just was not what I was looking for. I was hoping to understand a man who was loomed as an almost cartoonish villain when I was a kid during the Iran hostage crisis. This did tell the story of Khomeini's life, but I got almost no insight into the inner workings of the man himself. While the recounting of events was pretty comprehensive--too comprehensive in my mind, spending just as much time on stuff that did not seem all that important as things that, I think, were more important--it gave really short shrift to two things I was really curious about: Khomeini's thoughts and actions during the taking of the U.S. embassy and subsequent hostage crisis, and the Iran-Iraq War. There was a lot about internal Iranian politics that I did not know before, but it was not what I was really interested in, so I quickly lost the thread of that story as I slogged on, hoping it would get to something I cared about more.

Maybe I just wasn't the right audience.

[Spencer]

This book gives such a clear and precise account of Ayatollah Khomeini's life. We had to have a book source for my global studies project where every person was assigned a revolutionary and they had to prove why they were a revolutionary, so I read this book and it helped me out so much. It provides details about Khomeini's life from day one, and past the last day. I thought it was most helpful in explaining how Khomeini's ways of ruling in the 1970s were reflected by his childhood. All in all, this book is very helpful and factual (try not to get lost in all the information) and I enjoyed it very much reading about Iran's revolutionary.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting biography about a fascinating man. The author does a good job of remaining unbiased up until about the time of the 1979 revolution when the writing becomes very bitter and negative towards Khomeini. Regardless, the first portion of the book (about the first 2/3rds) provides a lot of detail about the events and people who shaped Khomeini's life and how he came to be the man that he was. The last 1/3 of the book seems to be a hurried account of Khomeini's conflict with others, both within and outside of Iran, but less on why he did things or any other context behind his actions.

[Asif · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the most detailed and readable biography of Ayatollah Khomeini available in the English language. It is very well researched and informative and a fascinating account of an important figure of the modern era. It portrays the Imam as a multifaceted figure and is more interesting as a result being neither hagiography nor a diatribe and polemic. Excellent biography.

[Amir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book long time ago, when it had just come out. It had a lot of typos, I think, but I enjoyed Mr. Moin's attempt at objectivity. The book seemed to need some streamlining, but all in all, it is a must for anyone interested in Iranian politics of the late 20th century.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of the life of this man. Lots of primary texts included in here as part of the book, which is at times helpful.