Welcome to another episode of this series. If we consider knowledge to be like a city surely it won’t be entered except with reading books. A society can be called a scientific society once its individuals are accustomed to reading books.

As a matter of fact, scientific and cultural development of any given society is related to the rate of reading books. Leader of the Islamic Revolution, respecting the issue of book and reading books, says, “Reading is the only way to attain knowledge and there is no other way round. If there is no reading there won’t be any knowledge. It is agreat harm for a nation if its individuals do not deal with books and it is a great bounty for an individual to be accustomed to books and always benefiting or learning new things from it.”

Ayatollah Khamenei believes that book plays a significant role in our life and nothing can replace it. He has time and again asked people to consider buying books as a main part of the costs of life. He refers to the bright and honorable past of Iran when the achievements of great Iranian scientists caused scientific growth and flourishing in the world. The Leader notes, “Since old times our historic country, the Islamic Iran, with thousands of years civilization and numerous scientific and cultural centers, valid libraries, great scientists and scholars and valuable historical monuments has been the master of governments and nations; and keeps shining as a sun in the arena of global culture and civilization and displays art by its noble children. Who on earth is unfamiliar with the sagacious and acclaimed Iranian scholars such as Abu Ali Sina, Abu Reyhan Birouni, Farabi, Kharazmi etc. and prominent poets such as Sa’adi, Hafez, Ferdowsi, Mowlavi and so on and doesn’t bow down in respect to them? Isn’t the existence of these great figures a matter of pride and boast for every Iranian?”

Then he stresses, “My dears, all of these valuable honours originate in the rate of Iranian nation’s abundantlove and affection to acquiring knowledge through reading and studying various sources and books.”

Then, expressing regret at the rate of reading books in Iran, the Leader states, “Today reading books and acquiring knowledge are not only a national duty but a religious obligatory act.”

In the view of the leader of the Islamic Revolution entering the mysterious world of book requires culture-building. Reading books will become a habit if it enjoys cultural support. Reading books should start inside families. Great psychologists have stressed that if a child sees his/her parents reading from the very childhood, he/she will be automatically led toward this act. Parents should make children associated with book from the beginning. Even the little children should be associated with book. Book must be considered as one of the main costs of the family.

Ayatollah Khamenei himself is very interested in reading books and has studied thousands of books including famous novels of the world, historic books, especially the history of Islam and various books. He says, “In my house everybody goes to sleep while reading. I myself do the same. It doesn’t mean that I go to sleep in the middle of reading. I read and when I feel sleepy I put the book aside and sleep. All members of our house have a book in their hand when they go to sleep. I think all of the Iranian families should be like this. I expect this. Fathers and mothers ought to make children associated with book from the beginning.”

One of the points emphasized by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution is the usage of wasted time. He says, “I want to have a request from the people and that is: Those who have wasted time for instance on the bus or in the taxi; or riding their personal car while somebody else is driving it or they are at places like the doctor’s office; anyway spend time doing nothing; they can read book at all these times.They had better to have a book in their bag or pocket and open and read it when they sit on the bus. And when they get to the destination they put a sign in the book to continue it later on. I myself read several thick volumes of a book on the bus! Of course it dates back to pre-revolution when I had come from Mashhad to Tehran to do something. I wouldn’t think that the time I used in this way to be wasted. In those days it took almost one hour to go from one place to another. Sometimes, this commutation would take more or less than this. Anyhow, I wouldn’t think such hours to be wasted as I read books. All of us should act in this way. Sometimes, you see a person sitting by the TV and waiting for a film. The TV broadcasts advertisement which takes 20 minutes. At times, a person needs this ad but if a person doesn’t need it why should he sit idly for 20 minutes? He should have a book at hand and study it for 20 minutes. If our people get accustomed to using these wasted times in reading books the society will advance and the culture of the country will progress a lot.”

The history of no civilization is devoid of book and reading book. All cultures begin and grow with book.Meantime, the sacred religion of Islam has benefited most from reading book as the grand Prophet of Islam started his mission with the command of “Read”. In this sacred culture God has sworn by the pen and has chosen book as the miracle for His final messenger. God says in surah al-Alaq, “Read in the name of your Lord who created; created man from a clinging mass.”

Ayatollah Khamenei refers to reading books with regard to the ayahs of Qur’an. He states, “God says, ‘Are those who know equal to those who don’t know?’ This includes even those who have quitted studying and acquiring knowledge with the pretext of worship in a bid to attain eternal salvation through gaining rewards. But the Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The supremacy of a scholar to a worshipper is like my supremacy to the most inferior among you.”

Indeed, there is a big gap between knowing and ignorance and this distance won’t be filled except by studying. That’s why the Leader of the Islamic Revolution says, “Book is the gateway to the broad world of knowledge and cognizance.”

RM/SS