The Objectives of Public Quranic Recitation (Tilāwah Majlisī) in the Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty member and associate professor of the Quran and Science Department, Quran and Hadith Higher Education Complex, Al-Mustafa University, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to systematically identify, explain, and formulate the objectives and functions of "ideal public Quranic recitation" (al-Tilāwah al-Majlisiyyah) from the perspective of Ayatollah Khamenei, defining recitation as an educational, spiritual, and cultural medium.
Methodology: Employing a qualitative approach, the research utilizes thematic content analysis and textual interrogation (istintāq) of his specialized speeches, writings, and Quranic directives, integrated with Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and classical Quranic scholarship.
Findings: The findings demonstrate that the objectives of public recitation are structured in a three-tier hierarchical and causal continuum:

Preliminary Objectives: Enhancing public accessibility and cultural equity in hearing the Quran, establishing social familiarity (uns) and a Quranic atmosphere, and transmitting the emotional depth and vivid imagery of verses via deliberate "recitation engineering."
Intermediate Objectives: Fostering the reciter's inner spiritual impression (taʾaththur), inducing reverent humility (khushūʿ) and emotional responsiveness in listeners, and catalyzing ethical and spiritual transformation.
Ultimate Objectives: Revitalizing divine remembrance (dhikr), deepening religious faith and certainty (yaqīn), and guiding both individual and collective conduct toward practical adherence to Quranic commandments and a Quran-centered lifestyle.

Conclusion: According to Ayatollah Khamenei, public recitation transcends acoustic performance or ceremonial art; it serves as a transformative, civilization-building, and pedagogic vehicle where melodic and vocal techniques are strictly subservient to semantic transmission and holistic behavioral orientation.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 14 March 2026
  • Revise Date: 06 April 2026
  • Accept Date: 02 May 2026

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