Re: Tarawih questions
Side-tracking from the question of Taraweeh, Qiyaam-e-lail (Staying up all night) during the taaq nights (odd nights of last 10 days) is fairly common. Many places complete the entire Quran in three nights (27-29). Personally speaking, I prefer to listen to qira'at of an Arab speaking person, as they tend to transmit the meaning of the verse by changing the pitch of their voice. For example, where the ayat talks about kuffaar, the voice becomes angry, and where there is mention of paradise, the voice becomes soft. If one has a basic understanding of Arabic, listening to such a qira'at is an absolute pleasure. Contrast that to some of the huffaaz in Pakistan and elsewhere, the sole emphasis is to complete the Qur'an as quickly as possible, and the haafiz saheb goes on in a monotone and speaks with the speed of machine gun fire. I am sure there is same sawaab for the people standing behind the maulvi sahab, but the atmosphere and the experience is totally different.