“Mahfel”: Iran’s Quranic TV Sensation That Drew Millions On-Screen and On-Site

2025-07-11

Broadcast during the holy month of Ramadan on Iran’s Channel ۳, Mahfel has become a nationwide phenomenon, combining Quranic recitation, interpretation, and youth participation from Iran and abroad. Its impact extends far beyond television: in just one month, short video clips amassed over ۵۰۰ million views on Instagram. Even more striking, Mahfel inspired massive in-person events—from ۲۰۰,۰۰۰ people gathering at Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad, to ۱۲۰,۰۰۰ at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, and a record-breaking turnout in the small village of Charak. In September ۲۰۲۴, the movement reached Pakistan, where ۸۵,۰۰۰ Muslims joined the Mahfel Quranic festival in Lahore.

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