Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Allah (swt) did not leave human beings alone and unattended in the world, He sent prophets as leaders and showed them the way by sending divine books. The Qur’an contains issues related to people’s knowing and serving Allah (swt), issues related to belief and worship, moral responsibilities, experiences of the past, the nature of the hereafter and many other issues. At the same time, it guides and directs people to reach happiness in both worlds. For this purpose, since Adam (as), pages or books were sent to the people in written form in different periods of human history and ensured that they were on the right path.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Undoubtedly, the first receiver of the Qur’an is the Prophet Muhammad (saw) who was sent as a mercy to the worlds. The Qur’an was revealed to him in 23 years, sometimes in the form of a chapter and sometimes verse by verse. Although our Prophet (saw) was illiterate, he memorised the Qur’an, presented it to angel Jabreel and became a hafiz by presenting the whole of it in Ramadan. The Companions memorised the verses they heard from our Prophet and presented them to their households and their circles. The word “Hafiz”, which means memorising, keeping in mind and preserving, is also one of the 99 names of Allah. In the Qur’an it mentions, “It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.”[1] It has been declared that the Qur’an and its content will be protected by Allah (swt) Himself.

Dear Jama’ah!

In terms of its wording and meaning, the Qur’an is a miracle in itself. People of all ages can understand the message of the Qur’an. The Qur’an can also be easily memorised. This element, which is not given to any other book, is unique to the Qur’an.

Since the day it was revealed, it has been preserved in the memory of millions of young and old hafiz and has survived to the present day without any changes. It will continue like this until the Day of Judgment. Our Prophet (saw), who was the walking Qur’an, attached importance to learning and comprehending the Qur’an at every opportunity, and to constantly reciting Allah’s verses at home. In his last khutba, he entrusted his ummah with the Book of Allah and his own Sunnah. In a hadith Rasulullah (saw) mentions “Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection.”[2] Muslims have attached a special importance to the learning of the Qur’an, they have realised that the revival of generations is only possible through the learning of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and on this occasion, they have given a special value to the hafiz and the students of the Qur’an.

 Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Islamic Community Milli Gorus, which has shown a special sensitivity to the education and teaching of the Qur’an since its establishment, offers various opportunities for our generations, especially those who grew up in places like Europe and Western countries, to learn the Qur’an. Many Qur’an students have been trained in our educational institutions, which were built with your contributions, and they have become our pride in many Quran competitions. They were trained by the Qur’an and set an example for those around them. In our more than 80 hafiz institutions, we work hard to train many hafiz and to shine a light around them with what they have learned. For this purpose, ICMG has organised its first Hafiz Competition which will take place Tomorrow (January 7) by breaking new ground in order to make a mark on history in Europe. We are excited to host all Qur’an lovers in the competition that will be held at ICMG Headquarters in Germany. May Allah (swt) grant us to serve the Qur’an for a lifetime and to walk in its light. Ameen!

[1] Surah Al-Hijr 15:9

[2] Buhârî, İ’tisam, 1

Khutba – Understanding the Value of the Quran