In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I welcome all the dear brothers and sisters who are present in this meeting, especially the dear qurra and honorable guests who have come here from Islamic countries. Today's meeting was a very good one. I enjoyed being with you dear qurra and lovers of the Holy Quran. I also benefited from the great performance which the honorable qurra had during the meeting.
We should try to benefit from such meetings not only through ears and eyes but also through our hearts. We should act on the basis of the Holy Quran. We should deliberate about the Holy Quran and try to understand it. What are all the difficulties of the Muslim world rooted in? Why does the Islamic Ummah suffer from so many weaknesses despite its greatness? Why are all the Muslim brothers across the world not united and unanimous? Allah has said in the Holy Quran: "And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited." [The Holy Quran, 3: 103] "And might belongs to Allah and His Messenger and the believers." [The Holy Quran, 63: 8] Is this not what the Holy Quran has said? Why does the Islamic Ummah lack the dignity it deserves in the world today? Why are we behind in terms of scientific achievements? Why has the Islamic Ummah fallen behind in politics and finding solutions for global matters? The reason is that they do not act on the basis of the Holy Quran. The reason is that we do not refer to the Holy Quran as the basis of our actions and understanding, despite our claims to the contrary. The more we act on the basis of the Holy Quran, the more we will benefit from the results.
We tried to act on the basis of the Holy Quran in the Islamic Republic, and we succeeded to some extent in this regard. Allah also showed us the results of acting in accordance with the Holy Quran. Allah never goes back on His promises: "And who is more truthful in word than Allah?" [The Holy Quran, 4: 122] All the promises which Allah has made to the faithful about granting them victory, leadership, and grandeur are right. The reason why we do not see the manifestations of these promises in our lives is that we do not fulfill the conditions which Allah has set for us. "Be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, and I shall fulfill (My) covenant with you." [The Holy Quran, 2: 40] This is what Allah has ordered us to do. This is a great lesson for us.
We aim to fulfill these goals by taking part in such meetings and inviting those who are closely connected with the Quran to participate in these competitions. We aim to gain a close familiarity with the Holy Quran and act in a way that is closer to what has been said in the Holy Quran. This is the goal that we should try to achieve. Today, the world of Islam is in urgent need of acting on the basis of the Holy Quran. But this is what the enemies of Islam are opposed to. It is obvious that the enemies of Islam will never say directly that they are opposed to Islam and the Holy Quran. "They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe." [The Holy Quran, 2: 9] They seek to deceive both Allah and His servants. They say they support Islam, yet they target exactly what Islam has ordered us to do.
Today, you can see that raising the subject of jihad is considered a crime in some Islamic countries. They say it is forbidden to talk about jihad in textbooks, and that those who are somehow connected to government organizations should not talk about jihad and martyrdom. They attack such principles. They try to undermine Islamic unity and create suspicion among Muslims. The issue of Sunni and Shia and the different denominations of Shia and Sunni Islam are what the enemies of Islam have targeted. They never say that they are opposed to the Quran, but they oppose the bases of Quranic teachings and principles - the issue of unity being a prime example. Those who pursue the interests of Muslims make a lot of efforts to create unity among Muslim brothers, but we suddenly see that an anti-unity bomb is exploded by the supporters of one of those groups. It makes no difference who does these things.
These are things which Muslims should be vigilant against. This is true about the Iranian people as well. What we say is not intended for others only. These are for ourselves in the first place. We should also make efforts to maintain unity. Look at the Quranic verses which were just recited: "And remember Allah's favor to you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favor you became brethren. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it." [The Holy Quran, 3: 103] This means that you should all hold fast to the covenant of Allah. Of course, not all people are at the same level. There are some people who are more faithful than others and some who are less faithful. There are some people whose actions are comparatively more in line with the Holy Quran. But Allah the Exalted addresses everyone in the Holy Quran. He says that everyone should hold fast to the covenant of Allah.
It is not right to hold fast to "the divine covenant" alone and exclude others. You must tolerate each other. There are principles. Being unanimous in these primary principles is the most important matter. People may disagree over a hundred secondary principles. Disagreement will do no harm and is not incompatible with unity. These must be the criteria. We must watch our statements. Regarding matters of secondary importance, total rejection of others is not advisable. Today the Iranian nation is a unified nation. We must not take this unity for granted. We must not foment discord.
During the events that took place over the past three or four days, I observed that there were some individuals who were constantly trying to increase the conflicts. It is essential to avoid creating rifts. All people are brothers and they must cooperate with each other. All people must help each other to build the country. Individuals must not be slandered. It is not right to question all the qualifications of a person for one single reason. We must be fair. We must act and speak fairly. Regarding enemies, Allah the Exalted says: "And let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably. Be just; that is nearer to observance of duty." [The Holy Quran, 5: 8] If someone is your enemy, this should not cause you to treat him unfairly. Even the enemy must not be treated unfairly. That particular person is not even an enemy. Those injustices must be avoided. All people must avoid injustice.
All people must come together under the flag of the Islamic Republic. There are principles, and they must declare their commitment to these principles. They must stand together. There might be some differences of opinion. What harm would these differences do? There have always been differences of opinion. Whenever and wherever these interpretations and differences of opinion are mixed with human passions, everything will be ruined. We must beware of human passions. We must consider ourselves vulnerable to being deceived by these passions. We must look carefully and see whether we are being driven by our passions or our sense of responsibility. Even if it is our sense of responsibility, we must take care not to overstep the limits of our responsibilities. Extremism must be avoided. Then we will have Allah's grace. By Allah's favor, the Iranian nation has so far enjoyed Allah's grace, and it will hopefully enjoy His grace in the future as well.
All people must fulfill their duties. You must try and try. When I say all people must fulfill their duties, I do not mean I am carrying out each and every one of my responsibilities. That is not the case. "And I call not myself sinless." [The Holy Quran, 12: 53] But we must try our best. That is piety. Piety means being careful and making efforts to fulfill one's duties. That is what piety means. We must try to do that. And Allah the Exalted will forgive us in case of a mistake. Allah the Exalted will forgive our mistakes when we are careful.
I hope Allah the Exalted will bless these meetings, these recitations of the Quran, and these discussions. I hope He will awaken us all. I hope He will give us the opportunity to fulfill our duties.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings