When I was a child, I dipped my piece of bread in the bowl of curd and began to eat it. Just as I wanted to dip the bread in the curd, my fingers came in contact with the curd. The Imam slapped the back of my hand. I was quite small then – perhaps five or six years old. What I mean is that the Imam noticed that I became annoyed as I pulled my hand away. He then put my hand into his mouth and said: “It is not as though I dislike your hand; however, when sitting round a table in a group, we should be careful and bear in mind that there is a spoon (especially kept) for the curd.” This goes to show that as the same time as being simple and unassuming, the Imam was extremely particular about cleanliness and hygiene.
Name of the narrator: Zahra Mostafawi (the Imam’s daughter)
Title of the Book: Impressions and Memoirs about Imam Khomeini's Practical Behaviour, vol. 1, chapter one, page 42