Muslims Enter Into Last Days Of Fasting

Last Saturday saw the Muslim brethren enter the last ten days of Ramadan when many of them intensely dedicate themselves to worship as the month winds to a close. The period known as �Laylatul-Qadar�, the Night of Revelation (also known as the Night of Power) is believed to fall on one of the odd numbered nights of the last days of the month of Ramadan: notably the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th, on which the believer earns a blessed reward. 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 Arabic which means to rest or relax. The prayer can be very long (well over an hour), during which one stands upright to read from the Qur'an and perform rituals of prayer several times - standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting. After each fourth cycle, one sits for a brief period 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. Sheikh Hussein Idris, an Islamic Scholar, in a sermon to the congregation of Muslims at (UN) Libya Quarters in Madina Zongo to usher in the Layla-tul-Qadar, advised Muslims against the habit of making devout worship and the recitation of the Quran a seasonal affair for Ramadan alone, urging them to continue to allow such acts of devotion to permeate their lifestyles even after Ramadan. �We must all continue and make prayers and recitation of the Holy Koran a constant part of our everyday life so as to benefit from the Glory and blessings of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and his teachings�.