Narrator: shaikh Ali Salimi (Alamah Askari‘s nephew)
The late Allameh Askari said: At that time when Imam Khomeini was exiled and when he first came to Najaf, some of the scholars of Najaf, because of Imam Khomeini’s harsh attitude towards the deposed government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, went to see Ayatollah Al-uzma Sayyid Mohsen Hakim.
Ayatollah Seyyid Mohsen Hakim was one of the great Shia maraji at that time, and Allameh Askari was considered his right hand man. Those people, in their own words, objected to Imam Khomeini’s actions and believed that “he speaks a lot against the Shah’s government and etc… we also have a series of Islamic and cultural programs in Iran, with these words he says, our programs will also be stopped and they will put the responsibility of these actions on us too…”
For this reason, they asked Ayatollah Hakim to talk to Imam Khomeini so that, as the saying goes, he would take it easy and not speak so harshly. Mr. Hakim accepted and it was decided to hold a meeting with the presence of several maraji of iraq at that time.
Among those present in this meeting were Ayatollah Sayyid Mohsen Hakim, Ayatollah Shahroudi, Allamah Askari, Imam Khomeini and several others. Allamah adds: Ayatollah Hakim told the Imam that we agree with you and do not accept this shah. This man is not right, But don’t go so fast and harsh either.
If want to do something, if have a plan, don’t act with such intensity and severity so that if we had an activity or a plan; [Allamah Askari says these are Ayatollah hakim’s words]:”Do something that if in the future we want to put our Validity as hostage this government, they eould accept and not ignore our words.”
Allameh says: When Mr. Hakim’s speech was over. Imam Khomeini became very angry and suddenly stood up that the robe fell from one of his shoulders and said:
“Sayyid! I don’t want a government that you want to put your Validity as hostage to, the power is us. The power is you. They should be thinking of putting their Validity as hostage for us, not that we should worry.”
Then the Imam left the assembly with anger. The late Allamah says that when he left the assembly, Mr. Hakim touched his beard and said:
“This Sayyid is right. Where is he seeing? We are the power. They should be afraid of us.”
