The following is the full text of the speech delivered on June 24, 2012 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with participants of the 29th International Quran Competitions. The speech was delivered at Imam Ridha's (a.s.) shrine in Mashhad.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to welcome the honorable guests who have travelled to this holy city from different parts of the country and the foreign guests who have come to our country to attend the Quran competitions. We are thankful to Allah the Exalted who instilled love for the Holy Quran into our hearts and the hearts of our people. We are thankful to Allah the Exalted who blessed our people with the opportunity to recite and learn lessons from the Holy Quran, to develop a close relationship with the Holy Quran. During the time of taghut, the Holy Quran had been sidelined in our country. There was no communal movement to promote the Holy Quran: there were only isolated efforts by a number of individuals. During the time of the Islamic Republic and under the reign of Islam, promoting the Holy Quran has been one of the main plans of our government officials. Reciting, understanding and memorizing the Holy Quran and developing a close relationship with it are among the plans. And these international Quran competitions are one of the manifestations. It should be noted that reciting the Holy Quran in a beautiful voice is a preliminary step to reflect on Quranic verses. We cannot afford to focus all our attention and efforts on reciting the Holy Quran as the main issue. Reciting is a means to an end. Reciting the Holy Quran in a good voice softens one's heart and makes it humble. It prepares one's heart for understanding Quranic concepts and verses. We need these things.
Today the world of Islam needs to understand Islamic concepts. Today the world of Islam needs the lesson that the Holy Quran teaches to nations, the lesson on resistance, steadfastness, immaculate life and Islamic dignity. Quranic lessons are life-giving and we need these lessons. The light of the main Quranic concepts has enlightened Islamic countries to a certain extent and you see that there is a proportionate orientation towards Islam in the popular movements that are launched in Islamic countries. This was not the case in the past. In the past, wherever there was a social movement in Islamic countries, the orientation was leftist, Marxist and socialist in nature. But today wherever a movement is launched in Islamic countries, the orientation is Islamic.
Of course, these movements have oppressive and ruthless enemies. Today the arrogant powers of the world are the sworn enemies of Islamic movements. America has stood firm against these movements. Zionism has stood firm in the face of these movements. Undoubtedly the enemy will not stand by and allow Muslim nations to freely follow the road map of Islam. They will definitely resist.
The important point is that the Holy Quran teaches us that if we exercise patience, if we resist, if we do not shift our ground and orientation, we will achieve victory. This is a Quranic lesson. The Holy Quran tells us that if we have faith in the Islamic path and goals and if we move forward on the path of Islam, we will undoubtedly achieve victory. This is a Quranic lesson. Muslim nations should learn this lesson. Muslim nations should have faith in this lesson. If they have faith in this lesson, they will overcome the most complicated military and intelligence facilities of the enemy. If they show lack of willpower, if they feel weak, if they stop relying on Allah the Exalted, if they fall for the enemy's smiles and machinations, they will definitely be defeated.
Today the world of Islam is in need of these lessons. The Holy Quran itself is the best instrument to promote these lessons. Therefore, we need to promote the kind of familiarity with the Holy Quran that is accompanied by deep thinking and faith in divine promises. The more we manage to promote this kind of familiarity, the more we can contribute to the awakening of nations. And this is a responsibility that lies on our shoulders.
We must not limit ourselves to reciting the Holy Quran. We must not limit ourselves to words and melodies. We need to think of these things as a means to an end. Having a beautiful voice is necessary for reciting the Holy Quran, but it is just a means to make hearts tender and humble, a means to understand the meaning of the verses. It is wrong to recite only for the sake of reciting. No, reciting is a means to an end and it is necessary to think of it as a preliminary step towards the final goal. Of course, it is difficult to reach the final goal without taking the preliminary step. The fact that we insist on memorizing and reciting the Holy Quran, on promoting Quranic meetings throughout the country and on teaching Quranic concepts and techniques, is because becoming familiar with these things and spending time on them makes the general atmosphere of the country Quranic. We need this Quranic atmosphere. When the general atmosphere of the country becomes Quranic, familiarity with the Holy Quran will increase and spread in society and familiarity with the Holy Quran results in reflection on the Holy Quran and on Quranic teachings and concepts. Today the world of Islam needs this deep reflection. The people of Iran also need this deep reflection.
We are proud of the fact that in this materialistic world, we were the first to raise the flag of Islam and the Holy Quran. And we have stood firm to support this great claim. We have tolerated the problems and we have shown that if a nation exercises patience and resists, not only will it disappoint its enemy, but it will also achieve progress. This is something that has already happened in our country.
They tried to kill this light in our country since the first day. They did everything in their power for 33 years, but this light spread and grew stronger on a daily basis. Not only did they fail to pull down the flag of Islamic rule in our country, but also our nation made progress on a daily basis. Today the rate of the Iranian nation's scientific progress is eleven times more than the average global rate. This is based on the statistics presented by international scientific centers. Today our country is making accelerated progress on different fronts and in different areas - in political areas, in scientific areas, in the area of national progress, in the area of constructing the country.
Thankfully spirituality is spreading in our country. Our youth are the people of divine remembrance. They are the people of praying. They are the people of the Holy Quran. They are the people of itikaf ceremonies. Compared with other countries, the number of youth who pay attention to spirituality in our country is disproportionately high. Based on the evidence we have and considering the destructive and alluring instruments that modern technologies provide for the youth throughout the world, there are not so many pious and spiritual youth in other parts of the world.
Our youth are pious. Much to the disappointment of the enemy, our youth are righteous. The enemy was determined to take the flag of Islam and Islamic victory away from our people. The enemy was determined to pull down the flag of Islam, but not only did they fail to do so, but also our country made spiritual and material progress despite the enemy's will and we will continue to make further progress in the future. By Allah's favor, there will be a day when Islam and Muslim communities will be outstanding examples of material and spiritual progress for the entire world and the people of the world will admire them and try to follow them as their role models. Thanks to the Holy Quran, there is no doubt that such a day will come.
My advice is that you should try your best to become more familiar with the Holy Quran and develop a closer relationship with it. Learn more from the Holy Quran and reflect more on it. In your life, try to learn lessons from the Holy Quran. I hope Allah the Exalted bestows on us the blessing of living and dying by the Holy Quran.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings