New Taraweeh Experiences

Alhamdulillah, my apartment is up and running - power, microwave, cabinet, and the other outstanding details have been taking care of. I still need to get a fan - I really need the white noise. I gave Yahya Uzun Bey his YTL 450 commission plus YTL 60 for a gas tank for cooking. I hope I use it, in sha Allah.

Last night was a bit rough, with no power. I made my way back there pretty late. Alhamdulilah, it had stopped raining by then, and I had one of those pump-action flash lights that Mom thoughtfully included. It was quite necessary, because the flat didn't have any candles to speak of (they were out of wax). It was hot, but I opened a window and slept on the couch. I even woke up for suhoor with my Blackberry alhamdulillah - I had been having trouble waking up to that thing. The wind had died down by the time I got back, so the building's flimsy roof no longer sounded like a locomotive or something (like the ghoul in the Burrow attic from Harry Potter, perhaps).

Anyways, I decided to go to a third masjid for taraweeh today. This one is just down the street from my office, in the other direction from my house (East). It is right next to the Gayrettepe metro station, although I do have to cross a big street. It is not often you go to taraweeh and see something new, but it happened again today. I can't recall ever praying taraweeh in four rakat intervals, but that is what happened tonight at this masjid. When the Imam got up after the second rakat's tashahhud without saying salam, I thought it was a mistake, and he did two more rakats to no one's objection before saying salam. Of course, the next time it happened, in rakats 5-8, I knew it was not a mistake. Maybe this is an alternative Hanafi way of praying taraweeh. I know the basic prayer is 4 rakats in that fiqh. I just had never seen it before.

Some other observations about taraweeh - the imams have good recitation and pronunciation generally - this one did a good job in Isha. However, they the tajweed and pronunciation out the window when they go for speed in taraweeh (Fatihah in one breath). I heard some of the typical desi-type mispronunciations, but the guy normally reads fine. I don't know what the big hurry was, since this was another masjid where only one verse per rakat is read. The only time more than one verse was read was when he said a couple of small chapters from the end of the Qur'an. Another thing, if you are in the first row, or even the first few rows, or the first half of the masjid, you should plan on sticking around through witr, since everyone else is staying and it would be difficult to get out. Also, before Isha, the Imam had a brief lesson, and completely ignored the adhan. He also lead taraweeh. After Witr, he recited some Qur'an. Trifecta. Another observation - there are tasbeehs that they pass out after witr to do dhikr, and then collect back after the regular 100 are done. I thought that was neat, as was the shoe horn hanging on the outside door for people to use.

Live and learn.