 RAMADAN
TIPS 2009 |
(2) Taraweeh
Salams
A small summary on Taraweeh, its defininition
& purpose! We've also put a short summary regarding
the second juz (section) of the quran - hopefully
you should be on that section by now - if now, catch
up this weekend!
JK
Definition: Special evening
prayers performed during Ramadan. During each night's
prayer, one juz (1/30) of the Qur'an will be recited,
so that by the end of the month the entire Qur'an
will have been read.
Pronunciation: tar-a-wee
Did you know...
When the month of Ramadan begins, Muslims
enter into a period of discipline and worship: fasting
during the day, and praying throughout the day and
night. During Ramadan, special evening prayers are
conducted during which long portions of the Qur'an
are recited. These special prayers are known as taraweeh.
The word taraweeh comes from an Arabic
word which means to rest and relax. The prayer can
be very long (well over an hour), during which one
stands upright to read from the Qur'an and performs
many cycles of movement (standing, bowing, prostrating,
sitting). After each four cycles, one sits for a brief
period of rest before continuing -- this is where
the name taraweeh ("rest prayer") comes
from.
During the standing portions of the
prayer, long sections of the Qur'an are read. The
Qur'an is divided into equal parts (called juz) for
the purpose of reading sections of equal length during
each of the Ramadan nights. Thus, 1/30 of the Qur'an
is read on successive evenings, so that by the end
of the month the entire Qur'an has been completed.
It is recommended that Muslims attend
the taraweeh prayers in the mosque (after 'Isha, the
last evening prayer), to pray in congregation. This
is true for both men and women. However, one may also
perform the prayers individually at home. These prayers
are voluntary, but are strongly recommended and widely
practiced. Shias do not officially conduct Taraweeh.
Quran – Second Chapter Summary
The second juz’ of the Qur’an
starts from verse 142 of the second chapter (Al Baqarah
142) and continues to verse 252 of the same chapter
(Al Baqarah 252).
When were the verses of this juz’
revealed?: The verses of this section were largely
revealed in the early years after the migration to
Madinah, as the Muslim community was setting up its
first social and political center.
Select Quotation:
• ”When My servants ask you
concerning Me – I am indeed close to them. I
respond to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls
on Me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call,
and believe in Me, that they may walk in the right
way.” 2:186
What is the main theme of this juz’?:
This section gives reminders of faith as well as practical
guidance in running the newly-established Islamic
community. It starts by indicating the Ka’aba
in Mecca as the center of Islamic worship and symbol
of Muslim unity (Muslims had previously been praying
while facing towards Jerusalem).
Following reminders of faith and characteristics
of believers, the section gives detailed, practical
advice on several social matters. Food and drink,
criminal law, wills/inheritance, fasting Ramadan,
Hajj (pilgrimage), treatment of orphans and widows,
and divorce are all touched upon. The section ends
with a discussion of jihad and what in entails. The
focus is on the defensive preservation of the new
Islamic community against outside aggression. Stories
are told of Saul, Samuel, David and Goliath to remind
believers that no matter what the numbers look like,
and no matter how aggressive the enemy, one must be
brave and fight back to preserve one’s existence
and way of life.
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