In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
 
(Arabic prayer)
I am very happy and thank the Almighty God, because He allowed this magnificent meeting, which is also rich in meaning and useful, to be held one more year [and] one more time. I thank our brethren at the Endowment [and Charity Organization of Iran] and other people who cooperated with the Endowment Organization to hold this meeting and welcome those guests who took part and cooperated in this Quranic development, in this gathering and, in fact, [in this] Quranic celebration. God willing, all of you would be rewarded.
The issue of the Quran is a very important issue for us; it is the perennial issue of the Islamic world and the Islamic Ummah. We must resort to the Quran. If the Islamic Ummah does not take advantage of the Quran and refrain [from doing this] – as, unfortunately, this has happened at many junctures of our history – it would be dealt a blow, [and] would be slapped [in the face], just in the same way that it was slapped [in the face].
At the present time, we need the Quran. The correct path of life in the Islamic societies and the Islamic Ummah is to act upon the Quran. There is a hadith, which says, “Verily this Quran is the rope of Allah;” [it means that] when the Quran says, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided,” this rope of Allah is this very Quran. [The same hadith adds that] it is also the illuminating light; what is the property of light? Light illuminates the space [around us], [and] shows the way to humans [as a result of which] a human being is endowed with the power of sight [and] finds his insight. When there is no light, the eye is of no use and has no benefit, because it does not see anything. We have intellect, have various kinds of abilities, [and] have the power to think, but if there is no light, these [abilities] cannot help us; [this is why] light is needed. This light is the Quran. [As another hadith says, the Quran] is the useful cure [for all human ailments]. [We] are sick, [and] have affliction. Look at the backwardness of Islamic countries; [and just] observe the domination of infidels over many Islamic countries. [The fact] that the president of America comes out with total shamelessness and says ‘if it were not for us, many of these Arab countries could not have protected themselves even for a week’, this is humiliating to Muslims; this is because this affliction [exists in Islamic countries], [and] there is no affliction graver and worse than this one with humiliation.
This is humiliation [and] this is due to lack of recourse to the Quran, [and] is because [of the fact that] we have lost this [source of] cure, [and] have lost this remedy. [When a hadith says,] “He who holds to it will be protected, and he who follows it will be saved,” it is [expressing] a reality; the Quran is [like] this. At the present time, we need [the Quran]; we need the Quran both in our personal lives, and in the social life, and in our policies, and in our governance behavior. The Quran teaches us a lesson, [like] these verses, which were recited here today: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration.” These are the characteristics of a faithful [person and] the Quran says you must be like this. The first [characteristic] is [that they are] “forceful against the disbelievers.” [Therefore, the first characteristic of the faithful is] to stand fast against the disbelievers, not being like soft embankments, which can be penetrated, [and] standing against the infidels like a strong impediment. Muslims must stand against the [global] arrogance; Muslims must stand against the bullying of America and other bullies of the world; [because] if they do not observe [this point], [and] if they do not pay attention to these demarcations, they will be humiliated, will go down with corruption, [and] will be afflicted with backwardness, and unfortunately, this has happened at the present time.
In the last verses of the blessed Chapter Maeda [of the Quran], where he topic of discussion is alliance of the faithful with one another, [the Quran says,] “they are allies of one another;” [this] is about the faithful. In the next verse [which is] about the disbelievers, [the Quran also] says, “they are allies of one another.” [This means] that the faithful are allies of one another and have friendship ties with one another, while the disbelievers also have friendship ties among themselves. So, this is [the explanation of] an obligation expressed in the indicative mood, but it is in fact hinting at a necessity and means that a faithful person must have friendship ties with other faithful people regardless of what place in the Islamic world they hail from; this is the [real meaning of the] unity that I talk about. On the contrary, when they see the disbelievers in the opposite front, they must not have ties with them, [and must not] have friendship with them. Friendship with the disbelievers spells misery for Muslims; [like] this friendship that you observe at the present time and [see that] some [Muslim] countries start exchanging kind words with the Zionist regime and [have] various political and economic and other relations [with that regime].
Then [the Quran] says, “If you do not do so, there will be sedition on earth and great corruption.” [It means that] if this [principle of bolstering] friendship among the faithful and severing friendship [ties] between the faithful and the disbelievers is not observed, there will be sedition and great corruption on earth. This has happened at the present time. Today, there are wars in our Islamic region, there are civil wars, there is bloodshed, [and] there are numerous pressures. Imbecile and retarded governments in some countries enter into war against other countries, [and] commit crimes. You see what a catastrophe has befallen the people of Yemen at the present time. Their marriage [celebration] turns into mourning, they are being bombarded, [and Saudi warplanes] kill [Yemeni] people on the streets and markets and mosques and the likes of these. [This is happening] in Afghanistan in another way, in Pakistan in another way, [and] in Syria in another way. This is because we Muslims have forgotten about the [necessity of bolstering] friendship among the faithful. I mean, we are not acting upon the Quran; [and] this is [the result] of not acting upon the Quran. If we act upon the Quran, we would become dignified; [and] this is the path that takes Muslims to happiness.
We, in the Islamic Republic, have been able to stand against bullying of the [global] arrogance for about forty years and have progressed as well. In spite of those who wanted to annihilate the Islamic Republic, we have run our roots deeper, have become more capable, our power has grown, [and] have progressed more [and we have done all this] to the dismay of the enemies. This reading of the Quran and recitation of the Quran and [practicing] the tone and grammar of the Quran and the likes of these are all preliminary steps. Memorization of the Quran is a prelude, [and] reading the Quran in such meetings is a prelude; they are prelude to understanding and understanding is a prelude to taking action. You dear youths – most of you are young – [must] approach the Quran from this angle [and] with the feeling that you must learn the teachings of the Quran for [improving] your life – [both] personal life [and] social life and governmental life – and put it into action; [you must] become committed to this.
If you approach the Quran from this angle [and] with this feeling, the future of the Islamic world will be much better than the present time. [In that case,] America will no more dare to rattle its saber against [and] threaten the Islamic countries and Islamic Ummah in this way. If we rely on the Quran, learn from the Quran, [and] hold firm to the Quran, this would be [tantamount to] holding firm to the rope of Allah and holding firm to the rope of Allah will help one to stand fast. [When] you are treading a path and there is a handle, which you can hold firm, there would be no risk of falling down anymore. The rope of Allah is like this, [and] if you hold firm [to it], there would be no risk of falling down. I hope that, God willing, the Islamic world would get closer to this [concept] on a daily basis.
I once more thank officials in charge of this competition and participants in the competition and guests of the competition.
 
Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings