A Ramadan broadcast turned global: Mahfel’s spiritual gatherings attract hundreds of thousands across Iran and Pakistan

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

A Ramadan broadcast turned global: Mahfel’s spiritual gatherings attract hundreds of thousands across Iran and Pakistan

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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TV Program “Mahfel” and Its Public Festivals
“Mahfel”, aired during Ramadan on Channel 3, features Quran reciters and interpreters alongside young enthusiasts from Iran and abroad. It has become one of the country’s most-watched programs, with clips viewed hundreds of millions of times globally. For instance, last Ramadan, short segments of Mahfel racked up over half a billion views on Instagram in one month.
Beyond TV broadcasts, large-scale public events have been hosted in conjunction:

At Imam Reza’s shrine, over 200,000 people attended.
At Tehran’s Azadi Stadium during Ramadan, over 120,000 participated.
In the small village of Charak (population ~800) in Bushehr province, about 9,000 visitors from nearby areas attended, setting a local record.
Mahfel also held an international Quran festival in Lahore, Pakistan, in September 2024 (Shahrivar 1403), drawing about 85,000 Muslims.

Number of visits: 29

2025-07-11

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