Laughter in the Bosom of the Imam

One day an Italian woman who was a teacher by profession and was a Christian sent a letter full of expressions of affection and admiration for the Imam and his political doctrine along with a gold necklace. She mentioned in her letter that the gold necklace was a wedding gift and thus she held a special love for it and was presenting it to him as a sign of her affection and admiration for him. We kept it for some time and finally with hesitation in regard to its acceptance by the Imam we took it to him together with the translation of the letter. When the letter was handed to him, he also took the necklace and kept it on the table next to himself. Two or three days later, incidentally a small two or three year old girl was brought in his presence whose father was missing in action on the warfront. The Imam immediately asked that she be brought in his presence. Then he made her to sit on his knees and rubbed his blessed face with the face of the child and ran his hand over her head—something that was unprecedented even in relation to his own children. For a long time in that same position he kept speaking softly with the child and although we were at a distance of less than a meter and half from him, yet we could not hear him very well. The child who was initially depressed finally began to laugh in the bosom of the Imam. Then the Imam took the necklace that the Italian woman had sent to him and with his blessed hands, put it around the neck of the small child. The child who was overcome with happiness left the presence of the Imam and went out.

* By: Hujjat al-Islam Rahimiyan