Reading the Taraweeh Summaries

Understanding the Quran During Taraweeh

Respected Community Member,

Ramadan Mubarak (in anticipation!)

Ramadan is the month of the Quran. It is the month in which was sent down the Quran as a guide to mankind, with also clear signs for guidance and judgment between right and wrong. (2:185) We renew our relationship with the Divine Text in this holy month. In his Ramadan sermon, the Prophet (s.a.w) said: You must invoke your Lord in earnest, with hearts free from sin, and pray that Allah may help you fast and recite the Holy Quran.

We have a unique opportunity to listen to the entire Quran during the Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan. But how can we reap the blessings of the Quran if we dont understand what is being recited? Without understanding, our minds wander and our prayers lose focus.

Yet there are ways in which we can keep our minds focused on the Quranic recitation and, at the very least, get a gist of what is being recited during the Taraweeh prayers. This requires a commitment to make this Ramadan more meaningful than the previous Ramadans and a sincere effort to understand the Quran.

One of the best ways to reap the blessings of the Quran during Ramadan is to read ahead the Quranic verses that will be recited during that night in the Taraweeh prayers and to get a holistic understanding of these verses. When we understand what is being recited even in an overall sense, we can aspire to a heightened sense of spirituality. Otherwise, there will always be the danger that we will reduce Ramadan to rituals and fall short of our goals.

To help our community realize the blessings of Ramadan, we will, Insha Allah, send you a daily summary of the verses that will be recited that night, until the recitation of the Quran is completed on the 27th night. It will be sent early in the day so that we have plenty of time to read it and prepare to absorb the sublime words of Allah (SWT) into our hearts. Because the range of subjects covered by 150-200 verses per night can be overwhelming, we will focus on a few verses that capture and convey the essence of the verses to be recited during that night. To keep the summary simple, we will limit it to a few pages.

In this holy month of Ramadan, let us shed our worldly concerns and focus our minds and hearts on the Quranic verses recited during the Taraweeh prayers so that we can make the Quran the guiding light of our lives, thus drawing closer to our Creator and gain His pleasure. Ameen.

Sincerely,
Hasan Zillur Rahim, Director of Outreach, EIC
Evergreen Islamic Center of San Jose, California (www.eicsanjose.org)