Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with a Group of Young Quran Memorizers and Reciters

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

First of all, I congratulate the birth of Imam Baqir (may peace be upon him), the fifth Imam, to all of you dear ones - the youth, adolescents, boys and girls of the Quran, and your teachers and educators. We are very happy that, thanks be to God, the blessed waves of Quran education and learning have spread throughout the country. You dear ones should know that for many years, there was a struggle against the expansion of the Quran in our country; they thought they could make the Quran forgotten and neglected. For many years, they removed Quran lessons from educational centers and limited the recitation and dissemination of the Quran. Who were these people? They were the same ones who had imposed themselves on this country through foreign force; that is, the corrupt, sinful, and polluted Pahlavi regime. Their intention was to hand over this country, with all its human and material resources, to the Western colonial powers. They were the ones who planned and executed this. They knew that the teachings of the Quran, Quranic thought, and Quranic education would not allow traitors to carry out their plans easily; therefore, they fought against the Quran.

God the Almighty has stated in the Quran: "Indeed, We sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will preserve it." The preservation of the Quran, the preservation of divine knowledge, the preservation of the verses revealed to the sacred heart of the Prophet, is not something that human temptations and conspiracies can combat. The preservation of the Quran is God's work, and divine management will make the Quran prevalent. Of course, there is a condition. Like all divine blessings, the condition is that people must strive with all their existence and abilities to acquire this divine blessing. Our people have embarked on the path of Islam and the Quran with all their being and effort; God the Almighty has bestowed this blessing upon them. Today, thanks be to God, the waves of Quran education and learning have covered many parts of our society, and I am pleased to see that young people, adolescents, and children are striving to learn the Quran.

You young people and adolescents who are learning the Quran, know that you are providing a lifelong treasure for thinking and contemplation for yourselves. This is something very valuable. You may not grasp the deep meanings and teachings of the Quranic verses at a young age and may only understand superficial and minimal knowledge; however, as your level of knowledge increases and your scientific progress advances, you will make greater use of the Quranic verses that are in your memory and mind. The presence of the Quran in a person's mind is a very great blessing. There is a difference between someone who searches for Quranic verses and lists repeatedly to see if there is a verse regarding a matter and someone whose Quranic verses are in their mind and heart and before their eyes, looking to extract and deduce what they need from the Quran in every aspect of Islamic knowledge, reflecting on it and benefiting from it. Familiarity with the Quran during childhood and adolescence, up to youth, is a very great blessing.

Of course, familiarity with the words and appearances of the Quran is the first step; however, it is a necessary first step. If religious and Quranic scholars do not take this step, subsequent steps will be difficult and sometimes impossible. Today, you see people in various corners speaking about Islam and making claims that have no connection to Islam; why? Because they are not familiar with the knowledge of the Quranic texts and the traditions. A person must become acquainted with the text of the Quran and the traditions - that is, the prophetic hadith and the Imams (peace be upon them) - to understand religious knowledge; even if they want to delve into its depths. Thus, this step is the first step and, at the same time, necessary.

Of course, afterwards, thinking, gathering abundant knowledge for oneself, and using that knowledge to understand the teachings of the Quran and hadith is necessary. The more knowledge a person acquires, the clearer their understanding of the Quran and hadith will become. Experiences are the same. The more experiences a person has in life, when they look at the various events of the world, their understanding of the Quran will increase, and the contents of the Quran will become clearer to them.

Today, with the establishment of the Islamic government and the emergence of the Islamic Republic system, we understand the meanings of many Quranic verses that we had a vague and unclear image of before the establishment of the Islamic government. Today, as we witness the enmity of global arrogance and the oppressive and greedy powers before our eyes and observe their alignments - their conspiracies and plans and the type of deception of public opinion or the deception of some polluted minds among certain elites - it becomes clear to us what the depth of the meaning of the Quranic verse is and where it points and what harms it represents for the minds of readers and thinkers in the Quran. This must be appreciated.

We have a significant lag in Quran education in our society. We must compensate for this. If a Muslim youth becomes familiar with the Quran and gives themselves the opportunity to contemplate the Quran, many of the doubts of the enemies will become ineffective. Of course, all cultural institutions in the country must assist. Quranic concepts must be categorized by experts in this field and included appropriately in their places and in textbooks - both in schools and universities. This connection must be permanent.

We are very happy that, thanks be to God, this organized and systematic Quranic collection has been established and that so many good young people are engaged in benefiting from these collections. We ask God the Almighty to bestow His mercy and grace upon the organizers of this Quranic education, wherever they are in the country and under whatever name they strive. God willing, your efforts should be to exemplify yourselves in knowledge, action, religious upbringing, and behavior and interaction - just as you are, thanks be to God, exemplary in learning the Quran - and to be the exemplary men and women of the future of the country so that, God willing, your faiths play a role in the general guidance of the country.

To confront those who refuse to see the glory and greatness of dear Islam and Muslims and our country - Iran - prepare and strengthen yourselves in every way. They strike blows and create doubts; however, you must stand firm like a mountain against them and thwart the enemy.

I ask God the Almighty to include all of you in His grace, favor, and mercy, and God willing, may the attentions of the Master of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) be continuous and lasting for you.

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