I remember in the course of struggling and political demonstrations against the regime of Shah, people from various walks of life would come to Imam's residence in Qom to consult with him on a range of topics and issues they had faced from the regime.
In a private meeting with the Imam I saw His Eminence taking notes for his lectures to be delivered in the class.
Thus, I said with reverence:
“Sir, in such conditions—referring to political turbulences— your eminence is busy with making notes for your lectures!”
The Imam replied gently:
We should not forget that as a member of seminary we have duties to perform. Conditions are of course tough, but lessons and debates must have circulations too!
Narrated by: Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri
Taken from: Etelaat Daily, 22 February, 1989.