Ijtihad Network Being Wise and Faithful Muslim in the Contemporary World
The following is an excerpt from the speech delivered on June 12, 1995 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, in a meeting with Sulayman Kattani, a Christian, Lebanese writer.
The Supreme Leader’s statements were read on March 1, 2021, in a convention held on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of that well-known writer’s demise.
Sulayman Kattani was a Christian, Lebanese scholar who loved the Holy Prophet’s Household (p.b.u.t). He wrote a number of books about the virtues of some of the Imams and also about Hazrat Fatimah Zahra. This outstanding Lebanese writer also wrote a book about the founding father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may God bestow His mercy on him).
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Let me talk about one of my memories about Mr. Sulayman Kattani’s book. Two of his books have been translated into Persian. One is about Imam Ali and the other is about Fatima al-Zahra. The translators of both books were sitting next to me while they were translating! This is something surprising! One translator was Mr. Jalal Farsi. He was sitting somewhere translating the book, and I was doing something else, but he was with me. At that time, I was a fugitive [from the dictatorial regime of the Shah], but he wasn’t. As to the book “Fatima al-Zahra,” it was translated by the late Sayyid Ja’far Qomi – the late Ayatollah Qomi’s son. At that time too, I was a fugitive somewhere around Mashhad. He said he wanted to come with me. He was not a fugitive, but he came with me and accompanied me. I helped him a lot in translating that book. So, Mr. Sulayman Kattani is indebted to me!
Now that I have communicated with him, I am truly happy that a good, talented, knowledgeable writer – who is well-known – has worked on introducing two great members of the Holy Prophet’s Household. As a descendent of those two great personalities, I wish to thank you.
source:khamenei.ir
