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Montenegrin Muslims flock to mosques twice a day to hear music-to-the-ear recitation of the Qur'an.
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PODGORICA, Montenegro —
Montenegrin Muslims huddle together around
mosque imams twice a day during the holy
fasting month of Ramadan to hear their
music-to-the-ear recitation of the Qur'an and
learn more about their holy book.
"Muslims gather twice
a day to listen to the imam recite verses from
Qur'an, especially that most of them do not
know Arabic," Senad Makovic of the
Islamic Sheikhdom told IslamOnline.net.
One of the recitation
circles is held quarter of an hour before the
Fajr prayer while the second follows `Asr
prayers and runs through to Maghrib when
Muslims break their fast.
"Such meetings with
mosque imams have for years been a major
feature of Ramadan in Montenegrin,"
Makovic said.
"What is new this
Ramadan is that an increasing number of
Muslims is joining in and that the meetings
are held twice a day not just once as it used
to be."
During Ramadan, adult
Muslims, save the sick and those traveling,
abstain during daylight hours from food,
drink, smoking and sex.
It is customary for Muslims
during Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic
lunar calendar, to spend most of the day
studying the Qur'an.
The first verses of Qur'an
were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) in Ramadan.
Imams Exchange
Montenegrin Muslims also
swap imams during the holy fasting month to
make the
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A file photo of a Macedonian Muslim.
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best of their experiences.
"Imams deliver sermons
at their mosques during the first days of the
holy month," said Makovic.
"Then, they start
moving to other mosques to benefit more
Muslims with their religious knowledge,"
he added.
The Islamic Sheikhdom
organizes a series of seminars and forums at
Islamic centers in predominantly Muslim areas
across the country on the virtues and rewards
of fasting.
It has also resumed the
publication of an Islamic monthly, ELIF,
to answer questions about fasting, Qur'an
recitation, i`tikaf (spiritual retreat in the
mosque), zakat and other similar issues.
The Southeastern European
republic of Montenegro has a population of
630,500, nearly a quarter of them are Muslims.
Televised Ramadan
In neighboring Macedonia,
Muslims are flocking to mosques not only to
perform prayers but also tune in for sermons
and lectures.
"Large numbers of
Macedonian Muslims are attending religious
lessons after the Tarawih," Afrim Alija,
the media officer of the Islamic Sheikhdom in
Macedonia.
He said many foreign Muslim
scholars have been invited to Macedonia to
lead the Tarawih prayers and serve the Muslim
minority during the holy fasting month.
The Sheikhdom has also
organized a committee to help strengthen the
bonds among the Macedonian Muslims.
The high-profile committee
tours mosques across the country, estimated at
some 590, to coordinate religious and
humanitarian activities.
"We also organize
seminars on medical aspects related to the
fasting," Alija added.
Ramadan programs have a
solid foothold on the map of TV and radio
channels during Ramadan.
Local newspapers and even
website are extensively reporting on the
Ramadan activities in the country.
Muslims make up nearly a
third of Macedonia's two million population,
according to the CIA Factbook.
But other estimates suggest
Muslims make up half of the country's
population.
