In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

I thank the Almighty God, who let me live, [and] gave me the opportunity to take part in this [spiritually] illuminated meeting in another month of Ramadan and one more time and take advantage of the blessings of the Quran as much as my [spiritual] capacity allows. I sincerely thank all those who recited [the Quran], performed their program, and cooperated in spiritual arrangement of this illuminated session. I also thank God that the Quran and its concepts and the enthusiasm for it and learning it and memorizing it and musing over it are developing in the country on a daily basis and these are among the blessings of the Islamic Revolution. However, despite all these [efforts], we are still very far from the Quran, [and] we are distant from the Quran. We must take the Quran as the guide and recourse and leader in our entire life, in our entire mentality, in everything that we do, in our thoughts, in our resolve, [and] in our behavior, but this [situation], unfortunately, does not exist at the present time. [Therefore,] we must get close to the Quran.
You dear youths, increase your intimacy with the Quran and musing over the Quran on a daily basis; do not forget about recitation of the Quran, [and] do not forget about reflecting on [the concepts of] the Quran. In this sermon from Amir al-Mo'menin (PBUH), which was read out here, he says, “Anybody who sits with the Quran, when he stands up, something has been added to him and something has been reduced; his guidance has been added and his [spiritual] blindness has been reduced.” [Therefore,] when we listen to the Quran and leave the Quranic session after taking advantage of it, our guidance must have been increased and our [spiritual] blindness must have been decreased; our knowledge must have increased, we must have become more intimate with the righteous knowledge [of religion], we must feel closer to the Almighty God, [and] our fervor for worship must have increased.
At the present time, being far from the Quran has led to the blight [afflicting] the Islamic world; the wretchedness [that we see] in some Islamic societies is due to being far from the Quran; [just] look at the situation in Palestine. A nation has been driven far from its homeland, [and] those of them who have stayed behind in their home are under all kinds of pressures an example of which you saw just a few days [ago]; many [Palestinians became] martyrs, [and] several thousand became wounded and injured at the hands of a usurping, wicked, fake, [and] false regime [and] Muslim [countries] are just standing by [and] watching. Some people complain that “why America has taken no position [on Israel’s crimes?” Does America have to take position? America itself is a culprit [in these crimes]; many of Western governments are culprits; do you expect them to take position [against Israel]? The position must be taken by Muslims; the Islamic Ummah must take a position. It is [a duty] for the Islamic Ummah, Islamic states, [and] Islamic governments, who must stand up [against Israel’s crimes] and they are not standing.
Why? Because they are far from the Quran; [and] because they do not [really] believe in the Quran. [Earlier in this meeting,] they recited the blessed verse from Chapter Fath [of the Quran, which says,] “[Muhammad … and those with him] are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.” We must be forceful against the enemies of religion and against infidels, but must be merciful among ourselves; [however,] we are doing the opposite. Enemies launch wars and division and fight and [sectarian strife] between Shias and Sunnis, Arabs and non-Arabs and so forth, [and Muslim] rulers who are far from the Quran, far from thinking, and far from wisdom are played for a fool by infidels and submit to them. [All this is because] we are far from the Quran. The Quran has told us what to do; [and] the Quran has introduced them to us [where it says about infidels that,] “hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater.” These verses were recited here today; these are verses of the Quran; there is no end to their hostility toward Islam and Muslims. [The Quran says,] “And they resented them only because they believed in Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy;” [this means that] their hostility [toward Muslims] is due to the tendency [of Muslims] toward Islam.
We are far from the Quran; [and] the Islamic Ummah is far from the Quran. If we get ourselves close to the Quran, we will undoubtedly overcome the enemy regardless of who this enemy is. As the Quran says, “And if those [infidels], who disbelieve, had fought you, they would have turned their backs [in fight]. Then they would not find a protector or a helper. [This is] the established way of Allah, which has occurred before. And never will you find in the way of Allah any change.” This is a divine promise [and] is a promise given by the Quran. [The Quran also says,] “And Allah will surely support those who support Him.” These are those things, which we must learn from the Quran, [we] must [certainly] learn [them], [and] we must work [on them]. These sessions are [just] a prelude; these meetings and these education [sessions] are [just] a prelude; these readings and recitals [of the Quran] are [just] a prelude; [they are] a prelude to thinking, to understanding, to getting information, [and] to acting [on the basis of the Quran].
We [must] continue our move toward the Quran. My dear ones, Iranian youths, faithful youths, [and] revolutionary youths! Increase your familiarity with the Quran, your intimacy with the Quran, [and] your use of the Quran on a daily basis. This will strengthen you, this will boost your might, [and] this will be source of your dignity. I hope that, God willing, all of us would wake up, the Islamic world would wake up and we would be able to take these steps. At any rate, Palestine will be freed from the clutches of enemies through God’s assistance and with the permission of the Almighty God. Al-Quds is the capital of Palestine and America and [powers] bigger than America and smaller than American and stooges of America cannot do a damn thing against the truth and the divine tradition with respect to Palestine. I wish forgiveness from the Almighty God for all the martyrs of Islam and for martyrs of Palestine – especially the martyrs of these recent days – and ask the Almighty God to bestow more steadfastness and more resistance on this path upon those who fight on the path of truth and those who are doing jihad on the path of Allah.

Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings