Arrangements were made for him to study at the Islamic seminary in Esfahan, but he was attracted, instead, to the seminary in Arak, which was renowned for its scholastic brilliance under the leadership of Ayatollah Sheikh Abdol-Karim Haeri-Yazdi (himself a pupil of some of the greatest scholars of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq). In 1921, Imam Khomeini commenced his studies in Arak.
Yayin da yake bayani kan abubuwan da ya tuna dangane da yakin duniya na farko, duk da cewa lokacin da aka yi yakin yana da shekaru 12 ne a duniya, Imam Khumaini yana cewa: "Lalle ina iya tuna abubuwan da suka faru a yakukuwan duniya guda biyu…a lokacin ina karami ne amma dai na kan je makaranta kuma ina ganin sojojin tarayyar Sobiyeti a sansanin da muke da shi a nan (garin) Khumain.