Iranian cleric and politician Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei participated in the Islamic revolution of 1979, opposed western influence, and served as president from 1981 to 1989 and then as head of state.
As Shiite marja, he acted in Mashhad. He joined as a member of parliament for a short period and then for two terms before election as leader. Ruholla Khomeini also chose him as the prayer leader of Tehran on Friday.
He translated some works and authored the most comprehensive Tarh-i kulli-yi andisha-yi Islami dar Qur'an (The General Scheme of the Islamic Thought in Koran). And Solh-i Imam Hasan (a) is his most famous translation. Moreover, people compiled his speeches in a comprehensive work, called Hadith-i wilayat. People also compiled and published several other books about his speeches and wrote messages in different topics.
His most famous and effective fatwa in the world stopped insulting respected personalities of Sunnis. Following his speeches and emphasis, the concepts of "Tahajum-i farhangi" (cultural invasion) and "Bidari-yi Islami" (Islamic awakening) entered social literature.
Knowledgeable in literature, he also composed some poems under "Amin," his pen name. He studies his interest in contemporary history, another field.