c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Every night during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Kamran Riaz and his younger brother, Rehan, perform a sort of spiritual sound-check, each listening to the other’s recitation of verses from the Quran and offering corrections as needed.

When the fine_tuning is complete, the Riaz brothers will leave their parents’ suburban Chicago home and lead congregations gathered for “Taraweeh,” special prayers performed only during Ramadan, which this year begins Thursday (Sept. 13).

While Ramadan is most commonly associated with obligatory fasting, Taraweeh _ which Sunni Muslims believe was strongly recommended but not required by Islam’s Prophet Muhammad _ also is an integral Ramadan ritual. It’s one that requires a “hafiz,” someone who has memorized the Quran.

Traditionally, Taraweeh prayers (beginning on the night of Sept. 12) have been mostly led by Muslim immigrants who trained in Quranic memorization in their home countries. But as these immigrants age and become less active, and as immigration rules tighten, more congregations are entrusting Taraweeh to American-born huffaz like the Riaz brothers.

“The traditional approach in those situations has been for people to call overseas, but post-9/11 it’s difficult to bring in scholars from overseas,” said Riaz, 25, a fourth-year medical student who has been leading Taraweeh prayers since he finished memorizing the Quran at 14. “I hope there’s a realization that we can’t just import all of our scholars.”

Sayyid Syeed, a veteran leader of the Islamic Society of North America, said there is less reliance on foreign-born prayer leaders.

“We have had a bumper crop of (Islamic school graduates),” said Syeed. “Lots of Muslim youth are memorizing the Quran, and I’m sure we are already moving to self-sufficiency.” Syeed estimated there are at least 1,000 huffaz (the plural of hafiz).

For Muslims, Ramadan is when God revealed the Quran to Muhammad. Blessings and forgiveness rewarded for prayer are exponentially greater this month than during others.

“While we fast during the day, people are expected to recite the Quran more, hear the Quran more, read the Quran more,” said Syeed.

Shiite Muslims do not perform Taraweeh; they view it at best as unnecessary and at worst as a corruptive innovation introduced by an illegitimate leader after Muhammad. It is estimated that 85 percent of the 6 million to 8 million Muslims in America are Sunni, and the rest Shiite.

Muslims who do perform Taraweeh say it is an indispensable part of Ramadan that offers a spiritual complement to the material self-denial of fasting.

“It completes the day when you’re doing the fast,” said Ali Khaleel, a medical resident in Bloomfield, Mich. “You come to the masjid (mosque) and get more in touch with the real reason of what you’re doing.”

“As I started going, I felt this sense of relief,” said Sameera Khan, 33, of Toronto, who started making Taraweeh prayers regularly a few years ago. “Now I feel like it’s `me’ time, time between me and Allah.”

Like fasting, Taraweeh prayers can be challenging, especially in Western societies that don’t slow down for Islamic rituals. Taraweeh involves reciting a portion of the 80,000 words distributed across the 6,200 verses of the Quran every night. The aim is to finish by or before the end of the month, a process that can take two hours a night, and is often followed by socializing or more prayer.

But between work, fasting and other obligations, “it can be tough to get to Taraweeh every day,” said Khaleel. “But I go as much as I can. If I have the chance to do it, I do it.”

While a Taraweeh leader must know the Quran by heart, worshippers need not, but are advised to recite the prayers they know or focus on God.

“Even though I might wander off because of the long days or not understanding all of it, you try your best,” said Fahad Javed, 27, a dentist in Indianapolis. “And I don’t know what else I could be doing, besides watching TV or napping. The main thing is to try, and gain the blessings and mercy from God.”

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As a Taraweeh leader, Riaz said he tries to take into account work and other constraints his worshippers may have. Riaz performs shorter Taraweehs on weeknights, and longer ones on weekends, when fewer people have to rise early for work. He added that he tried to strike a balance that lets him read efficiently, but without compromising melody or accuracy.

“You try to read as quickly as possible without sacrificing the enjoyment that people receive from listening,” said Riaz. “I’m not going to read really fast just because somebody wants me to.”

Over the years, Riaz has led Taraweehs in mosques, rented prayer halls and private homes, and expects congregations to keep calling on him, even though the number of American-born huffaz is growing.

“I love Taraweeh because I’m able to resolidify my Quran,” said Riaz. “I’m able to reestablish that link with what I’ve memorized, and to feel humble and grateful that these are the words of God that you’re able to recite that you rote-memorized. It connects you to generations before you. In a way it almost connects you to the prophet himself, because you share that commonality with him.”

KRE/RB END SACIRBEY900 words, with optional trim to 700

Editors: Note time reference (Sept. 13 and 12) in 2nd and 4th grafs; Ramadan continues through Oct. 13. Also note the plural of `hafiz’ is `huffaz.’