Statements at the Gathering of Affection with the Quran on the First Day of Ramadan

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

We are grateful to the Almighty God for granting us the opportunity and extending our lives with His grace and kindness so that we can once again participate in this session - which is a very sweet, impactful, and beneficial gathering - and benefit from the recitation of the noble verses of the Quran by our dear reciters. I truly consider this great blessing, which is in fact a blessing of the ever-increasing interest in the Quran within our society, to be so significant that perhaps no other blessing can be compared to it.

Today’s session was also very good; the esteemed reciters, whether the masters of recitation who recited today or the dear youths who have entered this realm, evoke a sense of good talents, good voices, and good interests that promise a better future for the country. Well, the Almighty God has granted us this blessing. "But God has endeared faith to you and has made it pleasing in your hearts, and He has made disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to you". This is indeed a great blessing that God has made faith and what signifies faith beloved to our people and adorned it in our hearts. If we want to truly benefit from the Quran, we must become familiar with its teachings and concepts. This recitation, memorization of the Quran, and connection with the Quran assist us in this regard. If learning from the Quran were not important, we would not be advised so much to recite it. Because we must keep in mind that the goal is not merely to create sound waves in the air and disperse them; that is not the goal. Nor is the goal to recite the Quran beautifully just to enjoy its pleasant sound, as one might enjoy a poem recited melodiously; these are not the goals. All these preliminaries - recitation and what promotes recitation in society, which includes pleasant sounds and good tones - are among the components that encourage recitation in society and make hearts eager for it, and they are for understanding the Quranic teachings.

Understanding the Quranic teachings has its degrees. The first step comes from contemplating the words of the Quran and translating the Quran. When we say Quranic teachings, it does not mean that it is a mysterious, cryptic secret that no one can access. Yes, there are lofty teachings that may be beyond the reach of people like us, but there are many teachings that we - ordinary people - can understand and benefit from, provided we pay attention to this speech and this expression. In these noble verses of the Quran, there are many lessons for our lives. For instance, consider this noble verse: "Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you are only pledging allegiance to God; the hand of God is above their hands. So whoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own detriment; and whoever fulfills what he has promised to God, He will give him a great reward." This is a lesson for our lives. "So whoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own detriment"; if you break the contract you made with the Prophet, the covenant you made with Islam, the allegiance you made with God, you are working against yourself. "So whoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own detriment"; breaking the pledge with God and the Prophet is against us; it is not against God and the Prophet. They do not suffer any harm. "And whoever fulfills what he has promised to God, he will receive a great reward"; but if we fulfill this contract we made with God and the Prophet, we are working in our own favor; we will receive a great reward from the Almighty God. This reward is not said to be only in the Hereafter; it is not said to be paradise; a significant part of it is indeed in the Hereafter, but this reward will also be given to us in this world. The same verses from Surah Al-Ahzab that one of the brothers or perhaps some read: "Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with God; among them are some who have fulfilled their vow, and among them are some who await, and they have not changed in the least. So that God may reward the truthful for their truth"; this truthfulness is exactly this. "They have been true to their covenant with God"; meaning they sincerely upheld the covenant they made with God, and they stood firm on this covenant, and the hardships of life, the alluring temptations of the world did not divert them from this path. "So that God may reward the truthful for their truth"; God rewards them for this truthfulness and for standing firm on this divine promise. Well, these are teachings that can be understood by referring to the apparent meaning of the Quran. Although there are certainly higher teachings beyond these that may be understood by the elite, the righteous and worthy servants of God, and we may not have access to them except through those servants. Such things are certain; because it has been said that the Quran has depths. There are numerous narrations that state the Quran has an apparent meaning, a hidden meaning, secrets, and depths; it is like a sea that has a surface, exists, is water, is a sea, but it is not just this surface; it has depths, and in those depths, there are truths and things; this is certain. However, we can also benefit from this apparent meaning; provided that we pay attention and contemplate.

This is what we have repeatedly stated - we have been saying this for several years, and fortunately, it has yielded results, and one can see its effects - I will reiterate: you should truly understand the meaning of the verse you recite. Understand this apparent meaning that an Arabic speaker can grasp. Once this is understood, then in recitation, one gains the opportunity and ability to contemplate. That is, one can then contemplate. And I tell you that when we know the meaning of the verse, the one who is skilled in sound and melody and recitation, this understanding of the meaning of the verse will guide the tone. If we know what we are reciting, there is no need to look and see where a certain famous reciter has lowered their voice, where they have raised it, where they have recited with tenderness, and where they have recited with intensity. No, there is no need. If we understand the meaning, this understanding will guide the person who is skilled in sound and has a flexible voice; their voice will guide us; it will give us the melody; it is like ordinary speech. When you speak normally, your voice goes down in some places, rises in others, you speak softly in some places, quickly in others, you speak slowly in some places, and you emphasize a certain word. Previously, no notes were written for these - there was no notation, it is not according to notes - and it is based on your feelings and instincts. If you understand the meaning of the Quranic verse, this instinct will help you know what to do; where to read softly, where to pause, where to connect, where to start. Mastery over the verses of the Quran grants this skill to a person. Of course, there are also some who understand the verses of the Quran. Because they are Arabs, they also understand the translation of the verse well - they are Arabs - but one sees that they do not seem to read with attention to the meaning. In some of the famous Egyptian reciters, one observes that it seems as if they have been assigned to read a text from beginning to end without any connection to the meaning for the audience. One sees this in some reciters. However, there are also some who recite in a way that is like speaking to the audience; it is like conversing with the audience. Your recitation should be like this.

Unfortunately, most of our people use the words of the noble verses of the Quran less directly; that is, most do not know Arabic. Well, this is one of our deprivations. Therefore, in the laws of the country, the widespread learning of the Arabic language, which is the language of the Quran, is considered one of the necessary things, and this is because of this. If we truly want to understand the meanings of the Quran, ordinary people who do not read Arabic can refer to interpretations and translations.

Fortunately, today there are good translations available. In the country, individuals have worked hard and produced good translations. In any case, my recommendation to you, dear brothers who recite the Quran beautifully, is to pay attention to this point: that is, read the Quran with attention to its meaning; read it in a way that as if you are speaking to the audience who is listening, as if you are conversing in the language of the Quran. If this happens, then you will benefit from your recitation, and the people will also benefit from hearing the Quran and your recitation.

We hope, God willing, that the Almighty God will expand the circle of understanding the Quran and benefiting from the Quran and understanding the Quranic teachings among our nation and our people day by day, and grant us more of the Quranic blessings and benefits.

I must emphasize that friends who recite should work on the translation of the Quran; that is, it should be such that they are proficient in the translation of the Quran. Of course, memorizing the Quran is also very important in this regard. God willing, may you be successful and supported.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.