Statements at the Meeting with Reciters Participating in the 23rd International Quran Competition

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

We express our heartfelt gratitude to the dear brothers who, this year as in previous years, have illuminated our hearts and gatherings with the recitation of divine verses. We thank both the esteemed reciters and the organizers of this session, as well as those who have taken on the responsibility of this work for many years and continue to delight us.

This year's program has been even better than in previous years; the progress of our young reciters in recitation is evident. Thanks be to God, successive generations of Quranic scholars are emerging, filled with good talents, eager hearts, and warm breaths, dedicated to the Quran and its recitation. This is part of the matter; however, there is an essential aspect. I would like to emphasize here that if we believe - and we do - that acting upon the Quran is the foundation and core of reviving the Quran, and that the matter does not end with recitation and reading - which we believe; we must act upon the Quran, we must make our society Quranic, we must think Quranically, we must act Quranically, we must believe in the Quran; we must believe in the Quran and consider the promises of the Quran as truthful and just, just as the Quran states: "And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice; there is no changing His words"; just as our interactions with ourselves, with our family members, with our colleagues, with our community members, with Muslims in other countries, with powers, with nations, and all of these must be organized with a Quranic spirit and breath; all of this is correct and we believe in it; reviving the Quran, acting upon the Quran, and honoring the Quran is this; these are correct - but this does not mean that we should underestimate the recitation of the Quran. I want to emphasize this to you "Quranic" individuals - who are engaged in recitation, in Tajweed, and in the melody and sound of the Quran - it is sometimes heard that some say, 'We must act upon the Quran'; well, this is a correct statement; however, their intention is to underestimate the recitation of the Quran and its embellishments! I oppose this. The recitation of the Quran is part of a collection and a system that is all interconnected; this must also be given attention and honored. You must both recite and understand the meanings of the Quran; if you understand the meaning of the Quran, you can recite better. Now, let us compare the reciters of today with those from twenty years ago, when this Quranic movement in our country had just begun slowly; some read well, their voices were good, and they had learned the famous styles of reciters and recited; but it was not pleasant; why? Because they did not understand the meanings and concepts of the verses; this was evident. But today, it is not like that; today, our youth, in the verses they recite, the very quality of their reading indicates that they understand the meaning of the verse and pay attention to the concept of the verse.

So first, you must read well; recite beautifully, comprehensively, and correctly; second, understand the meanings and concepts of the Quran; and third, memorize the Quran. Memorizing the Quran is very important. You young people need this and you can do it. When you are a memorizer of the Quran, this repetition of Quranic verses and constant companionship with the Quran gives you the opportunity to reflect on the Quran. "Reflection on the Quran" cannot be achieved by merely reading and passing through; it cannot be obtained by reading once or twice; it is achieved through repetition and familiarity with a verse of the Quran and the ability to reflect on it. And how many subtleties are in the Holy Quran that cannot be understood except through reflection. Therefore, memorization and understanding the meanings of the Quran and its recitation are necessary.

Every year, we have elaborated on the recitation of the Quran here, and thanks be to God, day by day, both our Quranic community has expanded and improved; they have become familiar with reading the Quran and the impactful quality of recitation. Not every recitation is impactful; some recitations, when performed, penetrate the meanings of the Quran into the ears, hearts, and souls of the audience; achieving such a recitation is valuable. We want to reach that point. Of course, the condition for this is voice, music, the quality of the arrangement of verses, and the recitation that is performed; all of these are effective. Thanks be to God, our youth are engaged in this field, and their movement is a good one and will improve day by day.

I just want to make this recommendation. Some of you dear ones - whether those who are currently reading or those who have been reading for years - sometimes, truly - not verbally - from the heart, we praise and admire you; however, the meaning of this admiration is not that you cannot become better than you are. I am always afraid that you good young people - the very good reciters you are now and many of you are present here - think that the level you have reached is the final step. No, my friend, this is not the final step. You should not stop; you must move forward; you must progress and improve your recitation day by day, which is also possible. Of course, this requires arrangements in terms of education and Quranic centers, and those friends who are involved in these matters must prepare the groundwork, and the media must also help.

If, God willing, the recitation of the Quran becomes widespread in our society, everyone can read the Quran correctly, and all homes can embrace the enthusiasm for reciting the Quran, then our hope that a truly Islamic and Quranic society will be established in this country will increase. Today, we are an Islamic government and an Islamic society; however, these are the initial steps. The amount of Islam that we observe in our country and in our government in the words and actions of our officials is the bare minimum of Islam; this is less than what is needed for an Islamic society. All the blessings that have been bestowed upon the Islamic Republic until today have been based on this bare minimum. If the Iranian nation was able to break and topple the idol of despotism in this country, if the Iranian nation found the courage and bravery to feel that they can reject the words of oppression from anyone in the world and not submit to it, if you see our youth advancing in scientific fields and making geometric progress - fortunately, the scope of scientific advancement in our country is expanding day by day - and if you see signs of justice being implemented in our country - which I have mentioned, there are only signs of justice being implemented, we still have a distance to complete justice in the full sense - if you observe these and, in summary, if you see that in our society and country, what is known as Islamic is known and what is known as un-Islamic is un-Islamic, this is due to the blessings of this bare minimum of Islam that we have in our society. The more we can expand the scope of Islamic knowledge, Islamic spirit, and Islamic understanding, the more these achievements will increase and will serve as a model for other countries.

Today, fortunately, Muslim nations feel pride in Islam; this is very important! Young people! There was a time in the Islamic world - including in this country and in other countries - when a young Muslim did not feel proud of being a Muslim, and even felt ashamed; they felt ashamed to say In the Name of God, they felt ashamed to pray in front of others; there was a time like this. Pride in following and adhering to either the West or the East of that day - Marxist thoughts - was the source of pride. Today, the tide has turned; today, the Eastern camp has been defeated, and the Western camp is experiencing more and more failures day by day and becoming increasingly discredited and dishonored; the self-proclaimed advocates of democracy, human rights, and freedom have exposed themselves in the world. Islam is rising more and more, and this sun of Islam continues to rise. Muslim nations feel pride and honor in Islam. This is the case in all Islamic countries; from North Africa to East Asia, it is the same; in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, these countries in our eastern region to the Middle East, the Arab countries, Turkey, and your countries in Africa - both Arab and non-Arab - wherever there are Muslims and young Muslims, they feel pride in Islam.

It is this "sense of pride" that grants them victory; why did the Hezbollah of Lebanon - a group of young people, without the usual political, military, and economic resources of the world - triumph over a fully equipped army trusted by the great powers of the world? Because they had self-reliance thanks to Islam. When I say acting upon Islam, it means that we should believe in the words and promises of the Quran, which means that when the Quran says, "And Allah will surely aid those who aid Him; indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted," we should believe this. If you seek God's assistance, "Allah will surely aid you." "Indeed, Allah is Dominant over His affair," we should believe this. This Quranic knowledge gives us such a belief; then its fruits and results appear in the awakening of nations, in the increasing weakness of the aggressor powers, and in the disruption of the plans of aggressors and arrogant powers against Muslim countries.

Therefore, let us become familiar with the Quran, believe in the Quran, and understand the Quran. Quranic work in our country has fortunately been carried out in abundance and is ongoing; however, this movement must never be interrupted. And I advise you dear Quranic youth - who are familiar with and proud of the Quran - to continue this path and this blessed methodology; and, God willing, day by day, its blessings will accrue to you, your nation, and your country.

We also welcome the guests present in this session; we welcome the reciters and teachers and those who have read and those who have not read, we welcome all of them and hope that, God willing, these Quranic competition programs, which apparently will begin tonight, will be carried out with complete success.

O Lord! We beseech You by Your glory and majesty and by Your mercy to make us among Your righteous and worthy servants. O Lord! Keep us alive with the Quran; let us die with the Quran; resurrect us with the Quran on the Day of Judgment. O Lord! Make our words and actions Quranic. O Lord! Defeat and subdue the enemies of the Quran, the conspirators against the Quran, and those who cannot bear the continued presence of the Quran in the Islamic community. Defeat the arrogant powers. O Lord! On this day of Ramadan and at this hour close to iftar, turn Your mercy, forgiveness, and grace towards us; forgive us; accept our fasting, prayers, and recitation by Your grace and favor. O Lord! Send down the rain of Your grace and mercy upon all Islamic lands and countries. O Lord! Make us grateful for the Quran and the Quranic spirit; let us serve the Quran.