On the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan, the "Intimacy with the Qur'an Gathering" was held on 12th March 2024 in the presence of Ayatollah Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in the Imam Khomeini's (RA) Hussainiya.
In the gathering, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the recitation of the Qur'an as a "sacred art" and said that the primary purpose of this valuable endeavour should be to convey the meaning and message of the Qur'an to the people and create a foundation for contemplating the Qur'an.
The Leader expressed his satisfaction at the increasing number of young Qur'an reciters in the country, praising their accuracy and the traditional melody they employ. He considered the growing number of young reciters a great blessing of the Islamic Revolution. He said, "The Qur'an is a divine work of art, and the most important duty of a Qur'an reciter is to convey the meaning and the imagery the Qur'an uses to illustrate various topics to listeners' minds. Therefore, Qur'an reciters exemplify the mission of divine messengers and should make themselves conform to the conditions of a divine messenger."
Continuing along this line, he proffered some recommendations, especially for the reciters. He suggested that Qur'anic circles and sessions in mosques and homes be expanded and should proliferate. He added, "In the Qur'anic circle, special attention should also be paid to translation and interpretation of the Qur'an to elevate the level of religious knowledge in society."
Speaking about the images of the youth of Gaza reciting the Qur'an aired in the media, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the high level of steadfastness that we witness in Gaza today was the result of understanding the Qur'an and acting upon it. He added, "In Gaza today, we are witnessing the peak of criminality, savagery, and oppression on the one hand and the peak of steadfastness and resistance on the other."
He mentioned that the crimes committed in Gaza, such as killing children and infants through hunger and thirst, were unprecedented and a disgrace to Western civilisation. He said, "Even though the Zionists have all kinds of weapons and military aid from the United States and the West, the people of Gaza, with their unparalleled fortitude and the steadfastness of the resistance fighters, has resulted in the fact that the enemy has not been able to make the slightest impact upon the resistance, and ninety per cent of their capabilities still remain intact." The Leader of the Islamic Revolution noted, "By the grace and favour of God, the resistance will inflict a humiliating defeat upon the Zionists."
Ayatollah Imam Khamenei said that it is a religious duty of the Islamic world to help the people of Gaza. He said, "Any help given to the Zionist enemy is a definite sin and a real crime, which, unfortunately, some governments and Islamic countries do, but one day they will regret it, and God willing, they will see the punishment for this act of treachery."
The ceremony was opened with the recitation of Qur'an reciters, some harmonisation and "Ibtihal". The gathering also featured images of the resistance of the people of Gaza, especially of children and adolescents, and their adherence to the Qur'an.