Sayyid Mahdi Imam Jamarani, a representative of the Ministry of Endowment, was told by one of the Communists in the organisation, ‘I love only one person from amongst you scholars – Ayatullah Dastaghayb Shirazi.’ Sayyid Mahdi asked the Communist why this was the case. He replied:
‘I was sleeping in a jail in the time of the Shah and it was midnight. They opened the door of the prison so I raised my head and I saw a scholarly man, old and short and very weak; they brought him into my cell. I hid my head under the covers and I didn’t bother with him and slept. A few minutes before the rising of the sun, a hand touched me politely and I opened my eyes and this very old man gave me salutations and said very politely, “O my dearest brother, stand up so that the morning prayer is not missed.” In anger, I said in a raised voice, “I am a Communist, I do not offer prayers.” The man replied, “Then please accept my apologies as I have troubled you; I desire that you forgive me.” And so I went back to sleep.
‘After I woke up, the old man continued to ask me to forgive him in a very humble way until I felt ashamed of what I had done in raising my voice to him. Regretting my past actions, I said, “No problem, Sayyid. Come sit on this bed comfortably and I will sleep on the floor as you are elderly,” but he refused! He said, “You are the first into the cell so it is your right and you have also had more trouble in the prison, having been here longer, whilst I am fresh. You are more entitled to it than me.”
‘I became attracted to his personality and ethics and my admiration continued throughout my stay with him in the prison. This is why he is the best person, in my view, amongst all your scholars.’
The Ways Of The Righteous Vol. 1