In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad, and upon his pure Household, especially the vestige of God remaining on earth.
We had a very sweet and pleasant meeting today. Indeed, today with your presence and your appealing, beautiful programs, you ushered in the month of Ramadan and you also sweetened the beginning of our year with this beautiful and sweet initiation. Thank you very much.
The items that were performed were very good. As usual, Mr. Yaraaqbafan was busy weaving gold-lace [Leader using the verb “yaraaq-bafi” meaning “lace-weaving” in reference to his last name]. May God protect him.
I listen to Quran recitation on the radio and Quranic television programs to some extent, and whenever I hear a recitation that I find appealing, mature, and outstanding, I thank God from the bottom of my heart. Thank God, this happens a lot because today we have many prominent reciters in the country who recite well and correctly and who are familiar with good recitation methods. We really witness this happening one after another and we should thank God. It really is incomparable to the way it was before the Revolution.
Before the Revolution, in Mashhad, which was considered one of the important centers for recitation and things like that, there was perhaps no more than two or, at most, three reciters in the whole city who could recite the Quran well and accurately. Now I am not talking about the old [Quran] teachers, [I mean] those who participated in our meetings and whom we saw — the likes of Mr. Fatemi and Mr. Mokhtari, for example, it was just those two or three people.
But today they are innumerable because, thank God, there are plenty of Quran reciters all around the country. Well, you saw the young man from Bushehr, I remember that year when he recited here, he explained that he comes from a village where all the residents are busy with Quranic tasks. The village is a Quranic center. You see these things and thank God there are plenty of these examples all around the country. It is something to be thankful for. I have been told that the growth of the Quran in society is higher than all other indicators of growth in the country. This is pleasing and something to be very happy about.
I would like to say something so that all of us and the reciters themselves can appreciate the true value of their recitations. The reciter of the Quran conveys the message of the Almighty Lord to his/her audience. What this means is that when you sit here and recite, you are fulfilling a mission. You are delivering a message. You are delivering God’s message to our hearts. This is a very exalted and prominent position. It is a great honor.
There are some factors that are required in order to convey this message effectively. One of these things is a good voice, another thing is to utilize effective techniques such as tone and some other qualities that I will briefly mention later. I have found that some of our dear reciters, whom I have heard on the radio, are quite familiar with these points and utilize them. They make use of these things and the impact of their recitation increases.
Listening to the Quran is a required and mandatory task, whether it is reciting the Quran for yourself or listening to the recitation of someone else. It is a must. First, it entails having faith in the revelation. “Those to whom We have given the Book follow it as it ought to be followed: they have faith in it” (Quran 2:121). Those who recite the Quran, by observing the right of recitation, have faith. Thus, reciting the Quran is a requirement of faith. Or [God says], “Do they not contemplate the Quran?” (Quran 4:82). Well, when will contemplation happen? Whenever you recite or listen. That is how it happens. Therefore, listening to the Quran is not merely a leisurely activity.
Whenever I talk to different friends of mine, whether they are officials or non-officials or young people, when we talk about the Quran, I tell them that they must read the Quran every day. Now, I don’t tell them to read, for example, half a juz or a hizb each day. [You can even] read one page or half a page a day, just don’t quit! There should not be a day during the year where you fail to open the Quran and recite it.
So, listening to the Quran is firstly an obligation for the sake of our faith, and secondly it provides the grounds for God’s mercy. “When the Quran is recited, listen to it and be silent, maybe you will receive [Allah’s] mercy” (Quran 7:204). Listening to the Quran provides the grounds for God’s mercy. What else is better than this? It is one of the most important elements that can introduce a person to God’s mercy.
Recitation should be accompanied by contemplation. Of course, the problem that our dear people have is that they are not properly acquainted with the language of the Quran. In Arab countries, where you see ordinary people sitting [before congregational prayers], for example in Imam Husain Mosque (in Cairo) or other places, where reciters read the Quran before prayers, people directly understand the meaning, or in other words, the appearance of the Quran. “Certainly, the outside of the Quran is wonderful, and its inside is deep [in meaning]” (Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 18). It has a deep inner meaning, most of which may not be available to all people, and it requires more interpretation and explanation by certain people. However, the apparent meaning of the Quran can be used by everyone. Everyone can use these apparent meanings. This is where our problem lies, we need to solve it somehow.
Now, I’ve made a note here that one of the important things is that we should be able to combine the recitation of the Quran with an interpretive translation, not just a translation of the meaning of the words but an interpretive translation. Some of the translations that are commonplace and at people’s disposal today have these features. Certain points have been addressed in them. Fortunately, there are very nice, fluent interpretations available today. That is, we currently have no problems in terms of books, Quran translations and commentaries. Thank God, there is a lot that is available to us. We have Tafsir Nemooneh and other available commentaries, there are many commentaries of this sort. You must find a way to do this. Experts who work in Quranic studies or those who are interested in these issues should come up with a solution so that we can integrate the translation in some way or form in the Quranic circles where the Quran is recited.
There is something small being done on Radio Telavat that I like. Before broadcasting the recitation [of verses from the Quran], the host of the program gives a summary of the content of one or two verses that the reciter will recite based on the common interpretations that exist. That’s great, it’s really great! Even if, for example, the reciter recites 20 or 30 verses, [the host] talks about just one or two of the verses, but that’s still something to be grateful for. This is the thing that is currently being implemented on Radio Telavat.
I used to do something similar to this before the Revolution in meetings where I spoke about Quranic topics. I would discuss a topic in detail, for an hour for example. We had chosen the verses for that topic and after my speech, one of the reciters, from the same [reciter] friends of mine who were in Mashhad — some of whom are thankfully still alive, others who have passed away — they would come and sit [during these gatherings]. I would say that [others] recite the Quran as the introduction of the speech, but I use my speech as an introduction to the Quran. I would give [those Quranic] speeches standing up, then a reciter would come and sit on the minbar, there was a chair, there was a minbar, and recite the Quran. This is what we used to do back then. Now, I don’t know how possible these things are in these meetings, but in any case, a method must be found. This work may need to be assigned to the Quranic circles, they need to figure out what can be done so that when you recite the Quran, people can comprehend and understand its concepts at the same time.
One of the very good deeds is to promote the recitation of the Quran and to listen to the Quran in all mosques. There are some mosques that hold recitations. If we can, we should turn every mosque into a Quranic base. In other words, we should invite one or a couple of Quran reciters — thank God, we have plenty of reciters — they can come to the mosques before [congregational] prayers. [It would be great] if they could do that on a daily basis, but well, it might be a bit difficult, [but] at least once a week, a qari, a reciter of the Quran should come and recite the Quran in the mosque so people can listen to it. Now, maybe the reciter himself, or someone next to him, can give a short and concise commentary and translation so that people can comprehend it. I believe these things are good.
More attention needs to be given to issues related to the Quran. The Quran is the book of life, it is the book of wisdom, it is a book filled with lessons. I have spoken a lot about this, I don’t wish to repeat the things I have mentioned before. The Quran has lessons for all parts of life. When you take a look at each page of the Quran, when we pay attention to it and contemplate on it, we can find dozens of essential points about life in every page of the Quran.
These are important matters. Not just the matters that relate to the afterlife — which are very profound, rich, and abundant in the Quran — even the issues related to our personal lives, our family life, our government, our international relations, there is wisdom and strategies in the Quran for all of these things. So, we must make use of this. We must make use of the Quran.
Thank God, we have a large Quranic community today. There was a time that when we said these things, there was no infrastructure available for it. Back then, a few people were acquainted with the Quran and those who, for example, were preachers and spoke to the people, they did not use the Quran in most of their speeches. Thank God, we have infrastructure that is very abundant today. We have many reciters of the Quran, there are a large number of people who have memorized the Quran. We have many reciters of the Quran, and there are plenty of listeners and people who are interested in the Quran. They attend the Quranic gatherings. We can see that. Therefore, we should work as much as possible on the issue of reciting the Quran, on the issue of becoming familiar with it and its concepts. This is an important matter.
I would like to say a few words to the reciters. Know that you are reciting [the Quran], and people are benefitting from it, and Almighty God has given you this great honor and opportunity to convey God’s message to the people and to make our hearts your audience. I would like to mention a few points. Your recitations should be intended for leaving an impact on your audience. There are certain ways to do this which I will share with you later. Of course, most of you are already familiar with this — leaving an impact on your audience. This means that when you begin your recitation, your intention should be that your recitation will influence your audience.
There are two types of recitation: one is a recitation that has a purpose of making an impact, the second is a recitation that is intended for singing! Does that surprise you? Don’t be surprised! Now thankfully, since you are all good and pious people with sincere intentions, such a thing might sound alarming to you. But no, anyone who is familiar with these foreign reciters outside the country — I won’t mention the name of that country — will see that there are some reciters who, when they recite, it is as though their purpose is to show off their tones and techniques to their audience.
They also have professional audiences, some have an audience that are professionals. The noises they make, when they shout — you can’t understand what they are saying — these people are professionals, they are mainly after these things.
In the public [Quranic] gatherings, when you see people crying the word “Allah,” and sometimes you see them weeping, that [recitation] is the type that leaves an impact on people. But in those special meetings where, for example, there are maybe 20, 50, or 100 people surrounding the reciter, they make a lot of noise, there is commotion, these people enjoy the beautiful, active music that the reciter is using and they and the reciter might not even be paying attention to the meanings [of the verses].
I will give you an example. I don’t wish to name anyone, but let’s say there is a reciter who has a very good voice, let’s say Muhammad Imran, for example — okay I mentioned a name — he has a very good voice and he is also proficient in music. I have heard that he is the most proficient person in Arabic music. He recites the Quran. This is how he recites Surah Yusuf [Leader begins reciting]: “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Alif-Laaam-Raa” (Quran 12:1), followed by “tilka Aayaatul Kitaabil Mubeen” (Quran 12:1). He recites a few verses and then returns to “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Alif-Laaam-Raa” and doesn’t recite the rest. And then again [he recites], “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Alif-Laaam-Raa.” I counted it, he says, “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Alif-Laaam-Raa” perhaps eight or nine times in the first few minutes. Why?
Repetition is very good, the repetition of the verses, “And whose speech is better than one who calls toward his Lord” (Quran 41:33). Suppose the reciter recites this, very well. When Mr. Fardi recited the first few verses [in this meeting], I was waiting for him to repeat the first two to three verses. They are worth repeating. Repeating these in some places is very good and obligatory and necessary. Repeating them can leave an impact on people.
But what is the point of repeating “Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Alif-Laaam-Raa?” How does that affect an audience other than [demonstrating] the different ways — the musical forms — of recitation? The reciter recites it and the audience listens. This kind of recitation is not desirable. Recitations must be performed to leave an impact. Of course, the reciter himself should first of all be affected by the Quran. If the reciter himself is influenced by his recitation — and one can see that some Egyptian reciters are truly affected by their own recitations — the impact is naturally greater. There are ways to do this, some of which I will share with you. [Of course] I have a purpose for doing this, it is not that I want to teach you that technique — you know it better than I do — but there is a reason behind it.
One of the techniques is differences between qiraat [recitations]. Some use this technique merely to show off. There really is no point in it at all, shaaz [irregular] and weak qiraats, separated qiraats. Sometimes, for example, a verse is repeated in five or six recitations in different ways. There really is no point in this.
This kind of differences in recitation is not very desirable. I do not recommend it at all, even though some of the recitation differences are very good, examples of which I will share with you. Some of the differences in recitation are very good, but there are some places where it leads to repetition that is pointless and leaves no impact, none at all. At times, it even diverts one’s attention toward other things.
However, it is very good in some places, I will give you a couple of examples. One is Abdul Basit’s recitation of Surah Yusuf, where he repeats “hayta laka [come!]” (Quran 12:23) over and over again. He does not wait to finish the verse before repeating it. “Wa qalat hayta laka [and she said, ‘come!’], wa qalat hayta laka, wa qalat hayta laka.” He keeps repeating it over and over again [because] he wants to show the importance of the situation. If he just reads it and passes [this section], the important situation won’t be noticed by the audience. A young man [Prophet Yusuf] in a private room with a beautiful woman [Zulaikha] who insists on advancing toward him, but he pushes her away. This is the significance of the issue. Abdul Basit wants to instill the situation in the audience’s mind in such a way that they will imagine it happening before their eyes, and this is why he keeps repeating it.
This kind of repetition, where a verse is repeated over and over again, is also rare in the recitations of prominent Arab reciters. This was one example. These are good [examples]. If our dear reciters practice these things and act in the same way, it will be very good, if they recite this in a place where, for example, there is a difference of recitation.
For example, in the verse, “salamun alaa ilyasin” (Quran 37:130), the Warsh recitation of it is “Aal Yasin.” “Salamun alaa ilyasin,” “salamun alaa aal-e Yasin” — Warsh is the only one who has recited this as “Aal-e Yasin,” the rest have all recited it as “ilyasin.” So, repeating it is not a bad idea: “salamun alaa ilyasin,” “salamun alaa aal-e Yasin.”
Another interesting example, which really appealed to me, is Sheikh Mustafa Ismail’s recitation of Surah An-Naml, where [Prophet Suleiman] asks, “which of you can bring me her throne?” (Quran 27:38), [the following verse], “qala aaifreetun mina aljinn [An efreet from among the jinn said]” (Quran 27:39), shows this difference in recitation. Additionally, the jinn were under Prophet Suleiman’s command, but their hearts were not with him, as mentioned in Surah Saba: “had the jinn known the Unseen, they would not have remained in a humiliating torment” (Quran 34:14). This [verse] shows that they were under [his] command, they were obliged [to obey]. Prophet Suleiman had control over them, but their hearts were not with him.
Now, what does Sheikh Mustafa Ismail do when he recites the verse? — “qala aaifreetun mina aljinni anaa aateeka bihi qabla an taqooma min maqamika [an efreet of the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to thee, before you rise from your place’]” (Quran 27:39). He first recites the same thing: “qala aaifreetun mina aljinni anaa aateeka bihi qabla an taqooma min maqamika,” he then recites, “anaa aateeka bihi” using the Warsh recitation. In other words, he repeats the matter using Warsh recitation. Why? Because the Warsh recitation here, highlights the pride of that efreet [jinn] in a better way. “Anaa aateeka bihi.” See? This [manner of recitation] shows itself, that is why he repeats it.
In my opinion, Mustafa Ismail — with the knowledge that one has about this great, outstanding reciter — deliberately repeats this recitation here immediately. He does not wait for the verse to finish, before starting over again. Right after “anaa aateek” — which is the famous Hafs from Asim recitation — he repeats the Warsh recitation to show the thing that he is highlighting.
Then, “the one who had knowledge of the Book” silences the [efreet jinn] and says, “I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye” (Quran 27:40). [Sheikh Mustafa Ismail] does the same thing here. He recites this verse in the same way: “anaa aateeka bihi qabla anyartadda ilayka tarfuka.” So, in other words, a sincere believer from Prophet Suleiman’s companions replies to the efreet jinn’s incorrect, arrogant action and actually silences him.
You see, utilizing this difference in recitation in this manner is definitely a good thing, but if the difference in recitation is done slightly differently, without this kind of preciseness or consideration, in my opinion — because as you know Warsh lived in Egypt and in fact, the heritage of the Egyptians is the Warsh recitation, that is why it matters to them. You probably have heard that they even have tartils there just with Warsh recitations, they use the Warsh recitation from the beginning to the end. The Warsh recitation is commonly used in Egypt and some countries in North Africa which constitute the western part of the Islamic world. The Hamza recitation is also beautiful because of the pause [glottal stop] it creates that comes after a sukun letter. That too is not a problem in some cases.
But [it is not right to] exaggerate these different kinds of recitations or to resort to all sorts of expressions, especially some of the strange ways they practice imala. One cannot comprehend why they do that. I don’t think that any Arab in the Arab world today uses imala in their speech in such a manner.
Maybe back then, when Hamzah for example — who was one of the seven reciters of the Quran — recited something like that, [maybe] it was common back then, but I doubt that anyone talks like that or shifts the vowels like that in the Arab world today. I mean I have never heard of it or seen it. Anyhow, that was about that concept.
Another point which is actually another technique, is about the connections and disconnections. One of the respected reciters who recited here today was every good in this regard. Actually, most of the gentlemen who recited today, especially one of them, were very good at pausing, so that the audience would give their attention to them.
There are times when pausing [during the recitation] of a Quranic verse makes the subject matter stick in people’s minds. Sometimes it causes the importance of the matter and the features and points that exist in it to be shown. That’s how it is sometimes. Of course, these should be given as examples to provide a clear demonstration of what is meant, which is not possible now, I don't recall a lot of them now.
Now what I have in mind, again, is Mustafa Ismail’s recitation of Surah Al-Qasas. “Fajaat-hu ihda huma tamshee ala istihya” (Quran 28:25). So, how would we recite this? We would recite it this way: “fajaat-hu ihda huma tamshee ala istihya” — “then one of the two women approached him, walking bashfully.” Very well, this is the normal recitation of it. [But] that is not how Mustafa Ismail recites it. He says, “fajaat-hu ihda huma tamshee,” he doesn’t say “ala istihya.” He pauses, then he says, “ala istihya.” Why? Because the modesty of this girl has meaning.
Well, this is the same girl who half an hour before this, or an hour before this, was next to this young man, he gave their sheep some water and left. Why is she shy now, but wasn’t shy then? [Because] here she has gone to her father and some nice things have been said about this young man. A conversation has taken place inside her home about this young man. That is why she is shy when she returns.
“Ala istihya,” he wants to point this out, he wants to highlight it. Therefore, he says, “tamshi” and separates, “ala istihya,” saying them separately. That’s how it is. I think it’s very good if attention can be given to these things or repeating some verses or sentences or intonation — the rise and fall in one’s pitch — in some places. These are all important techniques that help the Quran influence people’s hearts.
Anyhow, your work is important. It is a big job, it is outstanding, it is a technical job, it is a form of hybrid art. What you are doing is an art. Recitation of the Quran is a great, combined art. That is, it is a combination of melodies and various other features that are considered in recitation so that a person can make an impact. Just make sure you don’t do your recitations to show off different tones. Whatever tone you choose for your recitation, do it with the intention of influencing your audience. Let that be your intention and goal.
Don’t be like some of the famous Arab reciters. Now, I said some good things about Mustafa Ismail, but he is sometimes like that as well. Sometimes he will recite in a way that makes you feel as though he wants to show off his tone and the quality of his recitation to impress his audience. However, in many instances, his recitation is a spiritually influential recitation.
I hope that Almighty God will grant all of you and all of us the opportunity to become more familiar and more acquainted with the Quran and, God willing, He will give us the opportunity to fulfill our duty in this Quran-related area.
What’s important is to practice what is stated in the Quran, which is a whole different subject and a very broad topic. I shared with you the features related to reciting and respecting the Quran. I hope that God will grant you success.
O’ Lord! By Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, associate us with the Quran. Keep us alive with the Quran. Associate us with the Quran when we are in our graves and during our resurrection. Grant us the greatest benefits of the Quran. Make our society a Quranic society.
Lord, make those who taught us the Quran, those who taught us tajweed, those who taught us the secrets of the Quran, subject to your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. May God unite our Quran teachers with His friends.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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