Reciting Quran A Righteous Act When It Is on Path of Truth: Expert
Ali Akbar Hanifi told IQNA in an interview that when the truth and falsehood are clear, the boundaries will also be clear.
“Whoever stands on the front of the truth is a follower of the truth, and whoever stands on the front of falsehood will be among the followers of falsehood. Those who believe and do righteous deeds (one example of this righteous deed is reciting the Quran) are on the path of following the truth. God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: ‘As for the believers who do good works and believe in what is sent down to Muhammad which is the truth from their Lord He will acquit them of their sins and repair their condition.’ (Verse 2 Surah Muhammad) Such people, regardless of whether they are reciters or have any other title, stand by the truth due to their faith.”
Emphasizing that those who follow falsehood, even if they appear to be believers, are on the side of disbelief because of this adherence, he said Al-Afasi is a well-known qari and a master of style in performing recitation of Quran and he is also at a high level in terms of technique and voice.
“He also carries titles such as Sheikh and Imam of the congregation, but history has shown that there have been individuals with such titles - and even beyond that - who have stood on the front of disbelief.”
Hanafi added that these individuals may be outwardly Muslim and confess to Tawheed (monotheism) and the mission of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), but when their intellectual and practical roots go back to the currents of disbelief, atheism, or affiliation with other currents, their actions are also evaluated within the same framework.
The Holy Quran says: ‘O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies... and whoever takes them as allies from among you, then indeed he is one of them,’ he noted, saying it means whoever follows them is among them.
“From this perspective, when some regional rulers follow false trends, they are defined in the same circle.”
Referring to Al-Afasi's previous positions during the Saudi war against Yemen, this veteran Quran activist said, “He had previously taken a position in support of the American and Zionist front and in opposition to the oppressed people of Yemen. At that time, it was believed that these positions were the result of an inadvertent error, and for this reason, it was treated with a kind of condescension.”
Hanafi said that in the current situation, world public opinion - regardless of religion and race - has given the right to Iran and criticizes American policies, and signs of the US’s isolation are also visible. “However, some rulers of the Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf have still maintained their positions (in support of the US and the Israeli regime). They may outwardly present themselves as defenders of Islam, but in practice, due to their continuous ties with the enemies of Islam, the Quran, and Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS), they move in a different direction and are unable to break away from these dependencies.”
Asked what the reaction of Quranic activists to the positions of this Kuwaiti reciter should be, Hanifi said the best approach is to act on the divine command, “And argue with them with that which is best”.
“(The reaction) should be a measured, logical confrontation based on superior methods. During the Ramadan War, some countries on the southern edge of the Persian Gulf, by supporting the United States and the Zionist regime, played a role in the formation of the war and aggression against Iran and incurred great costs, while if they had an approach based on peaceful coexistence, such costs would not have been necessary.”
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He continued, “Despite this, the official policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is still based on maintaining relations with its neighbors.”
He noted that the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has also repeatedly emphasized that Iran wants friendship with the countries of the region and that this approach will continue as long as no action is taken against our country.
“Accordingly, the behavior of the Islamic Republic is based on the principle of interaction, along with maintaining the right to retaliate in the event of aggression; therefore, even though Al-Afasi’s recent positions are considered biased and illogical, the reaction to them must also be defined within the framework of the Islamic Republic’s macro-policy. It is not possible to take a position beyond what is required by law and official policy.”
Hanifi concluded by emphasizing that confronting such positions must be based on logic, self-restraint, and avoidance of insults; even if the other party has resorted to insults.
“In the cultural arena, the model of behavior is the character of the Prophet (PBUH) and the teachings of the Quran. Accordingly, a distinction must be made between types of confrontation and each action must be defined in its place and in accordance with Islamic standards.”
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