He wrote Kashf al-Asrar in just a few months. The book was a direct response to the regime's propaganda. It was published anonymously at first, but its powerful rhetoric and jurisprudential depth immediately identified its author as a rising star of the opposition. In Urdu circles, this book is often described as "Inqilab ka Pehla Nishan" (The first sign of the revolution). The book is divided into several sections, but three major themes dominate its pages. For Urdu readers, these themes resonate deeply because they mirror the struggles against British colonialism and secular dictatorships in Pakistan and India. 1. The Defense of Hijab and Islamic Morality The first major section refutes the Pahlavi claim that the hijab is a barrier to progress. Khomeini argues with historical evidence that the greatest periods of Islamic civilization (such as under Safavids or Ottomans) coincided with high moral standards. He cites Quranic verses (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:59) to prove that modesty is a divine command, not a cultural artifact.
In 1943, a paid agent of the Pahlavi regime named Ahmad Kasravi published a series of pamphlets attacking Shia Islam, claiming that religion was the opium of the masses and that the clergy were parasites. A younger, less-known Khomeini—then a mid-level mujtahid in Qom—could no longer remain silent.
Its Urdu translations have done more than just convert Persian words into an Urdu script; they have transplanted a revolutionary idea into the soil of South Asia. Whether one agrees with Khomeini or not, ignoring Kashf ul Asrar means ignoring one of the most influential Islamic political texts of the 20th century.