In about 1830 he permanently left India, initially on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Ali in Najaf, Iraq.[5][6][8] According to Moin, this movement was to escape colonial rule.[9]
Iran
He visited Iran in 1834 and bought a house in Khomeyn.[4] He later purchased more land in and around Khomeyn, including an orchard and caravanserai. These properties remained in the family up to modern times.[6][8]
By 1841 he had married three wives: Shirin Khanum, Bibi Khanum, and Sakineh (his friend Yusuf Khan Kamareh'i's sister), all from Khomeyn. He had five children, including a son named Mostafa (father of Ruhollah Khomeini), who was born in 1856 from Sakineh.[4]
He continued to be known by the nisba (title) Hindi (i.e. from Hind or India), indicating his stay there. Even Ruhollah Khomeini used Hindi as a pen name in some of his ghazals.[6] Ruhollah Khomeini's brother was known by name Nureddin Hindi.[5]
References
^Algar, Hamid (2010). "A short biography". In Koya, Abdar Rahman (ed.). Imam Khomeini: Life, Thought and Legacy. Islamic Book Trust. p. 19. ISBN978-9675062254.