If I had, he would congratulate me.

If I had, he would congratulate me. If I had not, he would tell me to go and pray and advise me to recite my prayers on time. Imam's grandchild Call and action of our travel companion At home, whenever we would observe the Imam do something, we would try and copy that action. We would always try to be like the Imam. He was a role model for us in terms of training and education. Whenever he would tell us not to do something, we would notice that he would also not do that thing.

We would also therefore not do that thing. When he would give us advice on prayers, he himself half an hour before the midday prayers would perform his wudhu and busy himself in supplications. This had a great effect on us. During winter, on mornings that I would have to get up in order to do wudhu, Imam would bring me some warm water and would say: "Do your wudhu with this warm water." Mrs Fareeda Mustafawi - Imam's daughter.

Quran and Mafaati Every night, Imam would pray Namaz-e-Shab and would usually wake up an hour before Azaan to pray. If time remained before Azaan, he would read newspapers and would listen to overseas radio broadcasts. Imam gave great importance to listening to the news. He wanted to know what other countries where thinking about Iran. Even when the Imam was in hospital, the radio was always by his side and he would listen to the news. The Quran and the Mafaati were also always by his side.

Even in the hospital until his last day, the Quran and the Mafaati were by his bedside and he would recite them as per his usual routine. People saw from television pictures that right until Imam was put on a drip, he would say his prayers with sincerity and presence of heart. One of Imam's relatives narrates: "Once just before the time of Fajr prayers, I entered the Imam's room in the hospital. I found him in an unusual state. He had been crying so much that his whole face was wet with tears.

Such was Imam whispering and supplicating to God that it left a profound impression on me. Hujjatal Islam Ashtiyani Imam and the prayers of children I had just become baaligh during the time Imam was under the watch of Shah's agents in Tehran. One day, my family and I had gone to Ketri to see the Imam. He was reciting the Magrib and Isha prayers. All the members of my family and some others stood for prayers behind the Imam. No one wanted to miss praying congregational prayers behind him.