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Hyder Raza Zabith
The Islamic Republic of Iran was established on 11 February 1979 after the
victory of Islamic revolution. In the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Supreme Leader of the country should be a learned scholar of Islam and expert in the Quranic sciences in particular the Tafsir (commentary) of the Holy Quran. The leader of the Islamic revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran Ayatullah al-Uzma Imam Sayyid Ruhullah Musavi Khomeini passed away on 4th June 1989 was the leading scholar and commentator of the Holy Quran. The present Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Ali Husaini Khamenei is also the most prominent scholar and commentator of the Holy Quran in the world. With blessings of the Islamic revolution in Iran the teachings of the Holy Quran, the Last and Final Testament of the Supreme Lord have become paramount in the government and people of Iran. The promotion and spreading the teachings of the Holy Quran have created great unity among all the schools of Islamic taught living in Iran and also helped in combating vices and spreading the good and noble traits and manners among the masses of the country. The Islamic Republic of Iran now can be considered as the world center for the translations and commentary of the Holy Quran. From 1979 till 2019, the translation of the Holy Quran in 132 languages of the world have been accomplished and published in Iran and more than thirty crore (300 million) copies of the Holy Quran was published and distributed in Iran. The largest selling book in Iran now is the text of the Holy Quran along with its translations in different languages along with its commentaries. The Islamic Republic of Iran published 10462 titles of new books in 2018 in which 1188 books were related to the Quranic sciences. In Iran, during the last forty years after Islamic revolution 588 Tafasir (commentaries) and translations of the Holy Quran in 311 different languages of the world were published. In Iran in 2018, 16467 scientific and scholarly journals were published which included 275 specialized journals on the Holy Quran. In 2018, eighty lakh copies of these 275 Quran journals and magazines were published in Iran.
From 11 February 1979 till the end of 21 March 2019 during last forty years, Majlis Shura Islami (Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran) passed and ratified 82 legislations to promote the teachings and culture of the Holy Quran in Iran. The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is completely based on the teachings and laws of the Holy Quran. There is a constitutional body called Shura Nigahban (The Council of Guardians) comprising six leading jurists (Fuqaha) who verify and ratify all the laws passed in the Majlis-e- Shura Islami (Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran) which have to be in accordance with the laws of the Holy Quran.
As per the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Arabic language which is the language of the Holy Quran is taught as the compulsory subject in the schools and junior colleges from middle school to pre-university levels. The teaching and learning of the Holy Quran is taught in schools and junior colleges as compulsory subjects from the Pre-primary to pre-university levels. In the Iranian colleges and universities of higher learning the commentary and sciences of the Holy Quran is taught to the students as the compulsory subject. The employees in the government and private sectors are also taught Holy Quran while on duty. The jail inmates in Iran are also taught the Holy Quran and the jail inmates who become Hafiz and Qari are granted remissions in jail sentences. Teaching of the different calligraphy styles to write the Holy Quran, the decorative and illumination art of the Holy Quran is taught in the Fine Art Colleges and Universities of Iran. The Iranian artists during last forty years have produced highly exquisite and intricate decorative and illumination styles in writing the Holy Quran and their art works are regularly exhibited in Iran and different countries. The highly exquisite and intricate decorative and illumination styles in writing the Holy Quran by Iranian artists is being exhibited for the first time in the International Exhibition of the Holy Quran conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India from 22-24 June, 2019. In this great cultural event three famous Iranian artists and calligraphers of the Holy Quran from Iran are attending the International Exhibition of the Holy Quran conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad where their art works on the Holy Quran will be exhibited. During the three day International Exhibition on the Holy Quran in Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad from 22-24 June 2019 the Iranian artists and calligraphers will conduct their workshop on calligraphy and art work of the Holy Quran.
In Iran there is news agency called the Holy Quran News Agency which transmits news regarding the activities and events regarding the Holy Quran in Iran and rest of the world. There are two national TV channels on the Holy Quran in Iran one is exclusive for the Qiraat (recitation) of the Holy Quran and other is for teachings and commentary of the Holy Quran. There are three national radio channels of the Holy Quran in Iran which carry round the clock programs on the Holy Quran.
1-Tilawat (Beautiful Recitation) Quran Kareem Radio Station
2-Tartil (Correct Recitation) Quran Karem Radio Station
3-Maarif (Sciences) Quran Kareem Radio Station
In all the leading Madrasa (Islamic seminaries, colleges and universities) of Iran the Tafsir (commentary) of the Holy Quran is taught by the leading religious scholars of Iran which are also broadcasted on various TV channels and radio stations of Iran. In Iran exclusive University of the Holy Quran and many Colleges of the Holy Quran are functioning throughout the country.
In Iran there are fourteen official governmental and 50 non-governmental organizations functioning which supervise the promotion of the teachings and learning of the Holy Quran in the country. The Supreme Cultural Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran which supervises all cultural activities in the country established in 2009 the “The Quranic Culture Promotion Council” which now looks after the strategic management, education, research, promotion of the teachings of the Holy Quran in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
There are more than four thousand Holy Quran learning centers in Iran which are fully aided and supported by government of Iran where teachers and instructors of the Holy Quran are trained who after training are employed in the schools, colleges and universities to teach the Holy Quran.
There are 408 the Holy Quran Studies Departments in the Iran’s colleges and universities and every year more than eleven thousand students get admitted in the Quran Studies departments in the BA, MA and PHD levels. At present the total strength of students in these 408 the Holy Quran Studies Departments in the Iran’s colleges and universities have surpassed thirty thousand students and all the students qualifying from these departments get the job in the field of teaching and promoting the teachings of the Holy Quran. Every year nearly two hundred students who have obtained MA degree in the Quranic Studies get admission in Iranian universities in the PHD level.
Before the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran on 11 February, 1979 there were handful and few Hafiz (The person who memorized) of the Holy Quran in Iran but with the government support during last forty years more than ten lakh (one million) Iranian men and women have become complete Hafiz of the Holy Quran and this figure will reach the target of more than one crore (ten million) Hafiz in next five years due to the implementation of the new plans in this regard. The Iranian Hafiz during last forty years have won almost all the prizes in all the international Hifz and Qiraat competitions conducted throughout the world.
The complete Hafiz (The person who memorized) the Holy Quran and who have completed the pre-university level is entitled to get direct admission in BA in the Department of Quranic Studies in the colleges and universities of Iran.
At present there more than four thousand Mufasireen (Commentators) of the Holy Quran in Iran teach Tafsir (commentary) of the Holy Quran in the Iranian universities, colleges and Deeni Madrasas (Islamic seminaries).Every year in Iran more than forty lakh people participate in the Hifz and Qiraat competitions which are held regularly in all the cities, towns and villages in the country. In 2018 only more than ten thousand events of the Hifz and Qiraat competitions were conducted in Iran. In the year 2018, 372 leading and famous Iranian Huffaz and Qari visited different countries of the world to recite the Holy Quran.
In 2018, 39 major national and international specialized exhibition of the Holy Quran was conducted in Iran and different countries in the world. In this regard the First International Exhibition of the Holy Quran is being conducted with the cooperation of the Holy Quran Division of the Ministry of the Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India from 22-24 June, 2019.
