As Muslims around the world find themselves in the blessed month of Ramadan, it’s heart-warming to see this spirit in Muslim communities, homes, and mosques. Ramadan is considered to be the holiest month by Muslims around the world. It’s a month wherein fasting from dawn to dusk, reciting the Qur’an, and praying the taraweeh prayer (late-evening prayers) are believed to be intrinsic to the blessedness of the month.
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It’s also a month wherein a certain group of Muslims is ostracised and marginalised by the community in South Africa. It’s a group of male huffaz who decide to not lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers.
Who are the huffaz and what significance do they have to Ramadan?
Huffaz is a plural for the word hafidh. It’s an Arabic term for a person who has memorised the entire Qur’an. Male huffaz play an important role in Ramadan because, since they’ve memorised the Qur’an, they’re able to lead a congregation of male and female worshippers in taraweeh prayers. The taraweeh prayer is performed only in Ramadan after the evening prayer, for the duration of the month.
It is performed in a congregation, led by a male hafidh who recites the Qur’an loudly. It is the hafidh’s duty to recite parts of the Qur’an each night, ensuring that the entire Qur’an has been recited to completion over the course of the month.
The ‘new phenomenon’
Since the past few years, we’re seeing more and more young huffaz choosing to not lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers, and simply joining a congregation. This was almost unimagined not too long ago, particularly because of the unwritten rule that a hafidh must lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers.
I’m a Hafidh that graduated exactly a decade ago. I first chose to not lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers during my university days because of exam pressure, and – more recently – because of employment commitments. After spending roughly seven years leading a congregation, when I first decided to just be part of a congregation versus leading a congregation, I was ostracised and made to feel guilty for my decision.
It was taking a toll on my mental health and my ability to enjoy the month of Ramadan from a spiritual point of view. I do not regret my decision and I have developed a proverbial thick skin to nasty comments and remarks by naysayers. Other young huffaz, though, are not as lucky even with good reasoning for their decision.
First reason: work load. It’s well-known that young people have increasingly been complaining about workload – be it in employment or in a tertiary education setting. A young hafidh who is preparing for exams during Ramadan or working late daily as a young graduate will, undoubtedly, find himself crushed under the workload mountain. How then can this young hafidh be expected to find time to meticulously revise the Quran for a guaranteed seamless recitation that evening, as he leads the congregation? The workload mountain will crush him even harder the next day.
Second reason: mental health. Again, it’s well-known that the mental health of young people around the world has been deteriorating. Young huffaz are not exempted from this. If a hafidh is struggling with his mental health for whatever reason, he should have the liberty to decide to not lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers. It should be his choice, and any attempt to discredit it should not be tolerated.
Who are the naysayers and why do they naysay?
Naysayers who ostracise male huffaz for not leading a congregation in taraweeh prayers can be found in almost every Muslim community. They can be imams, teachers, family members, colleagues or the broader community members.
The naysayers can be identified by the language they use to ostracise huffaz. Why are you not leading (a congregation) in taraweeh? You know, a hafidh cannot afford to miss one Ramadan of not leading in taraweeh. Are you not leading in taraweeh because your Qur’an (memorisation) is weak? You must lead in taraweeh, otherwise what will people say? These are but some of the remarks a hafidh has to hear when he decides to not lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers.
Naysayers hold the belief that every hafidh must lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers because it is an opportunity for a hafidh to revise the Qur’an meticulously and that such an opportunity in other months of the year would not be available at the hafidh’s disposal. Whilst there may be some truth to this belief, I don’t fully agree with it because the huffaz that I’ve spoken to remember the memorization of the Qur’an well and revise it throughout the year.
To hold this belief is unfitting because it is used to criticise huffaz for “not taking full advantage” of the month of Ramadan without taking into consideration that a hafidh is able to know the Qur’an well without needing to lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers. That belief and argument, therefore, is one-dimensional and restricted because of naysayers’ prejudices.
Second, the South African Muslim community has a high number of huffaz (male and female) who’ve memorised and preserved the Qur’an in their hearts. It is for this reason that one will find huffaz leading congregations in Taraweeh prayers in mosques, homes, community halls. Essentially, there aren’t enough mosques in the country to cater for every male hafidh to lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers.
This wasn’t the case where, about 20 to 30 years ago, there were only a few huffaz available to lead congregations in taraweeh prayers. At present though, this isn’t the case as there are many huffaz available to lead the prayers, and who are expected to lead congregations in many communities. This increase in local huffaz had led to a consciousness that every male hafidh must lead a congregation.
So, what’s the solution?
The solution to prevent ostracisation and marginalisation of huffaz who choose to not lead a congregation in taraweeh prayers is simple. It’s natural and part of the Ramadan build-up to ask a male hafidh if and where he’ll be leading Taraweeh prayers. However, if a hafidh tells you that he won’t be leading Taraweeh prayer, don’t feel the need to question him or judge him.
Leave him alone! Mind your own business. As simple as that.
Happy Ramadan, y’all.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Daily Vox.
