The full text of the remarks delivered by Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Ali Komsari at the commemoration ceremony for the martyred Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini in the city of Najaf is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and Prophet, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure and immaculate Household.
At the outset, I extend my greetings and deepest respects to the Grand Religious Authorities, distinguished scholars, esteemed professors, honorable scholars-in-training, and respected clerics of the Seminary of Holy Najaf. I give thanks to Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to attend this scholarly and spiritual gathering in the vicinity of the sacred shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him).
Today, we have gathered to honor the memory of a scholar whose life, though brief, left behind scholarly contributions, political struggles, and historical influences that extended far beyond his years. He was an insightful jurist, a scholar devoted to struggle, and the distinguished son of Imam Khomeini: the late Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini, may God’s mercy and blessings be upon him.
Allow me to begin my remarks with a question:
If Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini had not been the son of Imam Khomeini, how would we assess his standing in the history of the Islamic seminaries today?
This question is important because, at times, the greatness of a father’s personality unintentionally causes the intellectual and scholarly independence of his son to receive less attention.
Although Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini was Imam Khomeini’s eldest son and one of his closest companions, his entire identity cannot be reduced to this family relationship. He was a scholar with original views, an accomplished teacher, a prolific researcher, and a jurist qualified for independent legal reasoning (mujtahid) who possessed intellectual independence. Alongside his scholarly activities, he also fully understood and fulfilled his social and political responsibilities.
Therefore, understanding his character requires attention to three fundamental dimensions: his independent legal reasoning and scholarly breadth; his position within the Seminary of Najaf; and his role in political struggles and contemporary historical developments.
The first outstanding characteristic of Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini was his scholarly breadth and independence in legal reasoning.
He benefited from the teachings of great scholars such as Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi, Imam Khomeini, and Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Mohaqqeq Damad. Following his migration to Holy Najaf, he also drew upon the scholarly environment and the rich intellectual heritage of this ancient seminary.
Nevertheless, the significance of his scholarly character cannot be reduced merely to the names of his teachers. Rather, it is reflected in his analytical ability, independence of judgment, breadth of study, and capacity to engage with diverse fields of Islamic knowledge.
His works on jurisprudence (fiqh), the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), philosophy, mysticism, and Qur’anic exegesis—including the valuable collections Tahrirat fi al-Usul (Elaborations on the Principles of Jurisprudence) and Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Karim (Exegesis of the Noble Qur’an)—provide clear evidence of this scholarly breadth.
Here, however, I would like to draw attention to a specific example of his independent legal reasoning, one that holds particular significance for scholars and researchers.
One of Imam Khomeini’s scholarly innovations in the discipline of the principles of jurisprudence was his theory of Khitabat-e Qanuniyyeh (legislative injunctions). This theory opens up a perspective different from certain widely held views regarding the nature of Islamic legal injunctions and how religious rulings apply to those who are bound by them.
In Volume Three of Tahrirat fi al-Usul, under the heading “The Fifth Approach: What the Learned Father Innovated” (al-Maslak al-Khamis: Ma Abda‘ahu al-Walid al-Muhaqqiq), Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini examines this theory.
What deserves particular attention is that, while praising Imam Khomeini’s scholarly innovation and acknowledging the significance of the theory’s conclusion, he questions the necessity of certain premises in its line of reasoning.
In my view, this approach to scholarship is highly significant.
In dealing with his father and teacher, he neither settles for scholarly imitation nor resorts to baseless opposition in order to demonstrate his independence. Instead, while maintaining respect, he examines the foundations of the argument and distinguishes between the value of a theory and the necessity of the premises used to establish it.
This is the very spirit of authentic Shiite ijtihad (independent legal reasoning): a tradition in which respect for one’s teacher does not preclude scholarly criticism, and fidelity to tradition does not mean unquestioningly repeating the opinions of those who came before.
In my view, if we were to summarize one of the most important characteristics of Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini’s scholarly personality in a single phrase, we should speak of “independence in legal reasoning while remaining faithful to the scholarly tradition of the Islamic seminary.”
The second characteristic of Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini’s scholarly personality was his breadth of knowledge across the Islamic sciences.
Alongside his serious engagement with jurisprudence (fiqh) and the principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), he also devoted considerable attention to philosophy, mysticism, and Qur’anic exegesis. He sought to draw upon the potential of different fields of knowledge to achieve a deeper understanding of Islamic teachings.
This characteristic is particularly evident in his exegetical work, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Karim (Exegesis of the Noble Qur’an).
For example, in interpreting the third verse of Surah al-Baqarah:
“And from what We have provided them, they spend.” (Qur’an 2:3)
Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini draws attention to the ethical and social dimensions of charitable giving.
In his commentary on this verse, after discussing the spiritual and practical purification of the human being, he points to another stage of the believer’s responsibility, which may be described as social purification and reform.
According to this interpretation, the believer is responsible not only for his own personal perfection but also for addressing the needs of others and helping to establish an orderly and healthy social life.
From this perspective, charitable giving is not merely the act of donating wealth; rather, it is an expression of one’s responsibility toward society and an effort to create the conditions necessary for others to live a dignified life.
The significance of this interpretation lies in the connection it establishes between personal spirituality and social responsibility.
In other words, in Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini’s view, spiritual development and concern for the fate of society are not two unrelated matters.
Of course, this does not mean that all his exegetical discussions are social in nature. Rather, this example demonstrates that, alongside literary, rational, and intellectual discussions, he also paid attention to the social implications and potential of Qur’anic verses.
In my view, this comprehensive outlook carries an important message for today’s Islamic seminaries as well: religious scholarship can adequately respond to the broad needs of society only when, while preserving its depth of specialization, it remains attentive to wider intellectual horizons and the real challenges of human life.
Honorable scholars and distinguished students of religious knowledge,
Speaking about Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini in Holy Najaf carries a significance that goes beyond commemorating a historical figure, for Najaf was one of the most important centers in which his scholarly achievements and political activism flourished.
For Seyyed Mostafa, Najaf was not merely a place of residence during his exile; it was also an environment for teaching, research, scholarly discussion, and the continuation of his social and political activities.
In this regard, a recollection by the late Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Seyyed Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, one of his students and companions, is noteworthy.
According to his account, in 1967 in the Iranian calendar (1346 SH), a group of scholars-in-training at the Seminary of Najaf, recognizing Seyyed Mostafa’s scholarly mastery of jurisprudential and legal-theoretical discussions, as well as his profound understanding of Imam Khomeini’s intellectual foundations, asked him to begin teaching dars-e kharej in the principles of jurisprudence—the advanced level of seminary instruction in which a teacher examines legal principles independently of relying solely on established textbooks.
Seyyed Mostafa accepted their request and continued teaching these subjects until the end of his life. This activity was closely connected with the compilation of his work Tahrirat fi al-Usul (Elaborations on the Principles of Jurisprudence).
The significance of this event lies in the fact that it demonstrates how Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini succeeded in attracting the attention of a group of research-oriented scholars to his scholarly abilities and teaching skills within a seminary renowned for its immense intellectual heritage.
In fact, in Najaf, he not only benefited from the seminary’s scholarly legacy but also contributed, to the extent of his abilities, to its continuation and further development.
Moreover, his scholarly presence in Najaf exemplified the historical connection between the two great seminaries of Qom and Najaf. Despite differences in their methods and educational traditions, these two centers have historically played complementary roles in the development of Shiite jurisprudence and thought throughout the modern era.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons that Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini’s scholarly life offers us today is precisely this: the more the Islamic seminaries strengthen their scholarly ties, engage in dialogue, and exchange ideas, the greater their capacity will be to respond to the needs of the Islamic world.
However, Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini’s character cannot be understood solely through his scholarly works and educational activities. He was among those religious scholars who established a connection between religious knowledge and social and political responsibility.
From the very beginning of Imam Khomeini’s struggle against the oppressive Pahlavi regime, Seyyed Mostafa stood alongside him and, at various stages, assumed responsibilities in advancing the movement.
Following Imam Khomeini’s exile to Turkey in 1964, Seyyed Mostafa was also arrested and subsequently exiled. He then spent the periods of his father’s residence in Turkey and Iraq alongside him.
In Najaf, his role was not limited to accompanying Imam Khomeini as a family member. He also played a part in establishing connections among the forces engaged in the struggle, conveying messages, following up on the movement’s affairs, and maintaining its political and social ties.
Here, it is important to consider a significant point.
Throughout the history of Shiite political thought, the relationship between religious jurisprudence and politics has consistently been an important and debated subject. Different perspectives have existed regarding the scope and forms of religious scholars’ social and political involvement.
Following the political thought of Imam Khomeini, Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini believed in the necessity of active engagement by religious scholars in confronting oppression and tyranny, and he pursued this conviction in practice.
More importantly, however, his political activities did not prevent him from pursuing his scholarly work.
Even during those years when he was deeply involved in the difficult challenges of the movement, he continued teaching, studying, conducting research, and writing.
In my view, this combination of knowledge and action was one of the most outstanding characteristics of his personality.
He was neither a scholar who considered society’s problems to lie outside the scope of his responsibilities nor an activist who neglected to deepen his scholarly foundations and capacity for independent legal reasoning under the pretext of political engagement.
This characteristic presents the image of a scholar who regards knowledge as a responsibility and considers social responsibility, in turn, to require an intellectual and ethical foundation.
Ultimately, after years of scholarly endeavor, spiritual self-discipline, and struggle against tyranny, Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini died suddenly and under suspicious circumstances in Holy Najaf on October 23, 1977, corresponding to the first of Aban 1356 in the Iranian calendar.
Regardless of differing opinions about the cause of his death, the political and social impact of this event is undeniable.
Commemorative ceremonies held for him in various Iranian cities became opportunities for religious and political groups to re-emerge in the public sphere and helped expand the climate of protest against the Pahlavi regime.
From this perspective, the death of Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini should be regarded as one of the significant events in the course of developments that culminated in the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Alongside numerous other factors, it contributed to strengthening the protest movement and mobilizing society.
In this context, Imam Khomeini’s response was also of considerable significance.
In the face of losing his scholarly son and fellow activist, Imam Khomeini demonstrated extraordinary patience and steadfastness.
Beyond its personal and spiritual dimensions, this response conveyed a clear message to those involved in the movement: the continuation of a social and political struggle requires perseverance in the face of hardship and profound personal loss.
Thus, Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini, who during his lifetime pursued scholarly work and political struggle alongside Imam Khomeini, became, even after his death, one of the influential figures in the history of the developments that led to the Islamic Revolution.
Honorable scholars and distinguished students of religious knowledge,
Allow me, in conclusion, to return from the historical past to the present.
In my view, commemorating figures such as Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini becomes more meaningful when it goes beyond describing their personal virtues and leads us to reflect anew on the responsibilities of today’s Islamic seminaries.
His life offers us at least three important lessons.
First, the need for scholarly and intellectual independence in legal reasoning, while remaining faithful to the scholarly traditions of the seminary.
Second, the importance of a comprehensive intellectual outlook and of connecting religious knowledge with the concerns of human beings and society.
Third, the necessity of recognizing the social responsibilities of religious scholars.
Here, I would also like to emphasize another point.
With its immense scholarly and spiritual heritage, Holy Najaf has always been one of the most important centers of independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) and Shiite thought.
Today, too, scholarly and cultural ties between the seminaries of Najaf and Qom can provide a foundation for deepening Islamic research, expanding scholarly dialogue, and strengthening the seminaries’ capacity to address the challenges of the contemporary world.
The life of Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini, part of which was spent in Qom and another part in Najaf, can serve as a symbol of this historic and scholarly connection.
How fitting it would be, therefore, for this sacred seminary of Najaf to preserve his memory not merely through commemorative ceremonies, but also by studying and critically examining his scholarly works.
I will conclude with the same question I raised at the beginning:
If Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini had not been the son of Imam Khomeini, how would we assess his standing in the history of the Islamic seminaries?
In my view, a fair examination of his scholarly works and social record demonstrates that, in the history of the Islamic Revolution, Seyyed Mostafa Khomeini was the son and companion of a great leader. However, in the history of the Islamic seminaries, he deserves to be recognized in his own right as a thinker and an independent intellectual figure.
Truly honoring him means more than praising the past. It means understanding his scholarly legacy, examining his ideas, and drawing upon the lessons of his life for the future of the Islamic seminaries.
Today, the Islamic world finds itself at a sensitive and decisive juncture. The war and aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, together with the martyrdom of Iran’s Leader, have once again underscored the necessity of vigilance and a sense of responsibility. In such times, the Islamic seminaries and Muslim scholars must stand firm against oppression and sedition with awareness, discernment, and unity, illuminating the path of guidance and resistance for the Islamic Ummah.
I beseech Almighty God to reunite the soul of this scholar devoted to struggle with his pure forefathers, and to grant the seminaries of Najaf and Qom the success to remain, under the light of the precious legacy of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), centers of knowledge, spirituality, independent legal reasoning, and service to the Islamic Ummah.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.