In His Most Exalted Name
Rabi` ath-Thani 4,1398 AH
His Eminence Sayyid al-A`lam wa Thiqat al-Islam Aqa Tabataba'i, may his bounties last long:
After extending my best wishes and greetings to you, I wish to say that I received your letter some time ago. However, it has taken me a length of time in answering it as no reply was asked for. Now that a reply is required, I have not been able to find it no matter how much I have searched. I do not know what it is about to enable me to answer it. Therefore, I am just acknowledging it with apologies for its loss owing to some reasons. If there is anything about which I must reply, please write and let me know again.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini