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I shared this video a while ago with no explanation but since #Ramadan 
, the month of the Quran, begins tomorrow, I thought I'd do a little thread.
You probably have heard of Ramadan. It's one of the months of the Muslim lunar calendar and bc it's lunar, it shifts about 1/ https://twitter.com/safiyyahsultana/status/1242962396009938944
, the month of the Quran, begins tomorrow, I thought I'd do a little thread.You probably have heard of Ramadan. It's one of the months of the Muslim lunar calendar and bc it's lunar, it shifts about 1/ https://twitter.com/safiyyahsultana/status/1242962396009938944
10 days earlier each year. From pre dawn to sunset observant Muslims fast from food, drink, smoking, sex, and generally acting awful, focusing instead on individual and communal worship, reflection, discipline, charity. That, at least, is the ideal.
We do our best. 2/
We do our best. 2/
Most years though, once the sun goes down, we eat too much and socialize too much, and gather every night in huge groups at mosques to pray together, see friends, to grab food in the middle of the night, shop at the little bazaars that pop up every weekend. It's wonderful.
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And yet, pretty distracting because while it adds to the joy of Ramadan, it probably detracts from the spirit of the month, which is "less is more". Anyhow, thanks to COVID19, no community prayers, no iftar/breaking fast potlucks or parties, no bazaars, no buffets.
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For once, we may end up observing Ramadan the way it was meant to be. Anyway back to the beginning of the thread. This month is known as the month of the Quran, the Muslim scripture, bc it's believed that it was during this month that God sent the revelation
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to Prophet Muhammad via the Angel Gabriel, the angel of all revelation. So the Quran, which is organized in 30 parts, is recited in its entirety this month, one part every month. I say "recited" because it's actually...recited. Like, poetically, musically.
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Most of us lay people can't really recite, we just get by reading it in Arabic if lucky, b/c for most of us Arabic is not a first or second language. But those who recite takes years to hone the skill, there are recitation competitions, there are world famous reciters
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and in most mosques, the person leading the prayers has a certain level of recitation that is melodic. One of the fascinating things about the Quran in Arabic that it almost entirely rhymes, making it beautiful to recite but also amenable to memorization
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That's right. There are people who have memorized the entire Quran, and they're called "haafiz Quran", ie the one who keeps the Quran safe. My husband is a haafiz. Also happens to have beautiful recitation, which is partly how he won my hand. That and he's cute.
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Anyway, there is said to be healing in just listening to the Quran, even if you don't understand it. I am guessing, beyond any supernatural/spiritual qualities you may believe in, the rhythmic melody is soothing itself.
Now, I have some favorite reciters but recently
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Now, I have some favorite reciters but recently
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hubby came across this Sudanese shaykh w a style of recitation, (there are 9 formal styles I think) that we never heard before. It's hypnotic. I want to listen to it all day.
So here is a gift for those who believe, and those who don't:
#RamadanMubarak
So here is a gift for those who believe, and those who don't:
#RamadanMubarak
