From Tehran To Srinagar: Ayatollah Khamenei's Jamia Masjid Visit That Transcended Sects

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 23:08 IST

In 1981, Seyyed Ali Khamenei visited Kashmir, invited by Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq. He joined Sunni prayers at Jamia Masjid and spoke at Imambara Budgam, promoting unity.

In 1981, just two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran toppled the Shah’s regime, a young cleric, Seyyed Ali Khamenei—a close confidant of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini—set out on a journey that would leave a lasting mark, connecting the revolutionary spirit of Iran with the enduring resilience of India.

Ayatollah Khomeini himself had deep personal ties to Kashmir; during his exile in Iraq, he had received an invitation from Aga Syed Yusuf al-Moosavi al-Safavi, a prominent Kashmiri Shia leader from Budgam, to visit the valley if circumstances ever allowed.

Khomeini, in an interview with a French journalist had even expressed his preference to seek refuge in Kashmir over other places, highlighting the profound affection between the Iranian leadership and the Kashmiri people.

It was in this context of mutual admiration that Ali Khamenei visited to Kashmir. The call also came from Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq, the influential Mirwaiz – chief preacher – of Kashmir and a key Sunni leader based at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

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Mirwaiz Farooq was a towering figure in Kashmiri politics and spirituality. He extended the invitation as part of a broader effort to strengthen ties between the Muslim communities of Iran and Kashmir, inviting Khamenei to address the faithful at Jama Masjid Srinagar.

This was no ordinary visit; it was a spiritual pilgrimage, aimed at bridging sectarian divides. Khamenei, at the time a rising star in Iran’s new republic, having served as Tehran’s Friday prayer imam and a member of the Revolutionary Council, accepted eagerly.

His trip was one of the first high-profile outreach efforts by the nascent Islamic Republic to the Indian subcontinent.

As news of Khamenei’s impending arrival spread through Srinagar in the early 1981, local leaders and ordinary citizens alike prepared fervently.

He arrived a full day late, missing the grand reception that had been planned for him. The government in Delhi, prioritising his security, had insisted on last-minute arrangements—leaving crowds of eager people disappointed and waiting in vain that day.

The young cleric on his arrival was dressed in his simple black turban and robe, stepped out to a thunderous welcome.

Khamenei, in a gesture of profound unity, joined the Sunni congregational prayers led by Mirwaiz Farooq himself at the Jamia Masjid, a 14th-century architectural marvel built by Sultan Sikandar, which stood as a symbol of Kashmir’s Islamic heritage.

Its vast courtyard, capable of holding tens of thousands, was packed on that fateful day. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the locals, he prayed, a powerful act that transcended sectarian lines. After the prayers, he took to the pulpit for a 15-minute speech that would be remembered for years.

Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei also spoke to a gathering in Imambara of Budgam in March month of 1981. He met with local leaders, scholars, and families. He toured the valley’s shrines, including the revered Hazratbal Shrine on the banks of Dal Lake, where he offered prayers later.

The visit’s legacy rippled far beyond those few days. Khamenei, upon his return to Iran and eventual ascension as Supreme Leader in 1989, continuing.

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