In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The honorable gentlemen, the distinguished spiritual leaders and the learned dignitaries of Azerbaijan residing at the Qum theological center, may their favors last:
I wish to thank you for your esteemed letter indicating your kind sympathies and religious sentiments. I wish to express my thanks and appreciation to the learned gentlemen of all the theological centers, particularly the Qum Seminary, for the hardships they have endured and the exhausting efforts they have made. This world, whether pleasing or not, will pass on and all will have to go to the world of retribution. So much the better that we spend our short lives in the service of Islam and the Muslims so that we stand honored in the Holy Presence of God, the Blessed and Exalted, and join the ranks of those who have served. You, the learned youths who are the future guardians of Islamic precepts, have a heavy duty to discharge. From now itself, you must equip yourselves to safeguard and serve Islam and the Muslims. I pray to God Almighty for the glory of Islam, the Muslims, the `ulama' of Islam and for the prestige in the two worlds of you dignified scholars.
May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini