In a historic letter the great Imam said that Communism was dead and that he should study Islam.
The message had been handed to Gorbachev by Imam’s personal envoy, Ayatollah Abdullah Javadi Amoli in Moscow.
The great leader of the Muslim world also had predicted the collapse of communist system in near future. Imam’s divine prediction became true in later years at very sensitive juncture of history.
''It is clear to everyone that Communism should henceforth be sought in world museums of political history,'' Imam Khomeini's son and Hojjat ul Islam Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini then quoted the message as saying, who added, “Materialism cannot save humanity from the crisis of disbelief in spirituality, which is the basic affliction of human societies in the West and the East.''
In the letter the great Imam had invited the leaders of Soviet Union to conduct serious research about the dynamic teachings of Islam.
According to Imam, the Islam was sole school of thought and divine religion which could present a comprehensive solution to the problems facing the then communist regime.
The great Imam said that the Islamic thought could relieve the Soviet society and youths from clutches of moral decline and spiritual crisis.
Imam wrote in concluding part of the letter as following:
“In conclusion, I declare outright that the Islamic Republic of Iran as the greatest and most powerful base of the Islamic world can easily fill the vacuum of religious faith in your society. In any case, our country honors good neighborhood and bilateral relations as in the past. Peace be upon those who follow the guidance.”
The letter was widely welcomed by Gorbachev and he took some practical steps and opened Islamic research centers and promised to take Imam’s advises very serious. He also sent his then foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze with a letter to say his thanks and appreciation for Imam Khomeini.