Dear Brothers and Sisters!

When the journey of humankind on Earth began, Allah (swt) bestowed upon humans great blessings such as intellect and conscience, allowing us to find truth and righteousness. Alongside these, He conveyed revelation, the path to peace and happiness, through His prophets. Revelation, which has served as a guide and source of joy for every community, reached universal impact with the final revelation: the Holy Qur’an, which guides all humanity toward truth and peace. This Divine Book is a boundless ocean of peace and happiness offered to humanity. Indeed, the Qur’an describes itself as follows: “This is a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, so that they may reflect upon its verses and those with reason may take heed.”[1] Therefore, the Qur’an is a massive source of wisdom from which all people of reason can benefit. Let’s not forget that this divine word never turns away anyone who turns to it. The Prophet Muhammad (saw), who was a living example of the Qur’an, expressed in a hadith how the Qur’an is a source of healing and guidance for those who turn to it: “The believer who recites the Qur’an and acts upon it is like a citrus fruit—its fragrance is pleasant and its taste is sweet. The believer who does not recite the Qur’an but acts upon it is like a date—no fragrance, but a sweet taste. The hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like basil—its fragrance is pleasant, but its taste is bitter. And the hypocrite who neither recites the Qur’an nor acts upon it is like a bitter melon—bitter in taste and scentless.”[2] As clearly understood from this hadith, believers who recite the Qur’an reflect the joy and mercy they receive from it through their words and actions. In doing so, both they and others benefit from this fountain of mercy.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The Qur’an does not belong solely to the time of our Prophet Muhammad (saw); it is a timeless and all-embracing Book whose existence and guidance will stand as long as the world exists. The Qur’an is not something that becomes outdated with the passing of time, it always preserves its freshness and relevance.

It does not lead people backward, but rather continuously pushes them forward. It does not conflict with science, technology and advancements; it aligns with them. The commands and prohibitions of the Qur’an, its lawful and unlawful teachings, stories, promises and the truths, knowledge and descriptions it presents about the past, the future, Allah and other beings, do not change over time and never lose their value. The purpose of the Qur’an is to enlighten all people, regardless of their nation or background, to bring light to all those on Earth who are trapped in darkness due to ignorance and misguided beliefs. Among those who serve this noble purpose foremost are the hafiz those who memorise and carry the Qur’an in their hearts. They do not merely recite the divine words with their tongues, but they live them within their hearts and guide others through them. Becoming a hafiz is a great responsibility to keep the message of the Qur’an alive at all times, to protect it, and to pass it on from generation to generation. For this reason, hafiz are the hope of the Ummah and the living guardians of the religion.

Dear Jama’ah!

This noble duty is a means for a person to attain honour both in this world and in the Hereafter. Hafiz, those who memorise the Qur’an, are among Allah’s special servants who safeguard His word. The Prophet (saw) praised hafiz and stated that they hold a special status within society. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Allah elevates some people through this Qur’an and lowers others.”[3] Alhamdulillah, as the Islamic Community Millî Görüş (ICMG), we are making dedicated efforts to serve our people through our hifz courses, educational centres, mosques and community organisations across many parts of the world. As you know, our organisation has long been holding competitions in various fields. Three years ago, we initiated the first-ever hafiz competition in Europe. Our children who have completed their hafiz training in our institutions participate in this beautiful competition, inspiring hope for the future. Tomorrow, we will hold the third European Hafiz Competition in the city of Duisburg in Germany. We would be honoured to have you, our esteemed community members, among us or via online to witness the radiant atmosphere of the Qur’an and to find peace in the heartfelt recitations of our hafiz children. May Allah (swt) bless our Jumah and grant all of us a life spent walking on the path of the Qur’an. Ameen.

[1] Surah Sad, 38:29

[2] Müslim, Müsâfirîn, 243

[3] Müslim, Müsâfirîn, 269

Khutba – Our Guide in Life: The Qur’an