Taraweeh and qiyam fill mosques in Ramadan

Kuwait Times celebrates Ramadan in Kuwait with 30 days of the Icons of Ramadan. We highlight our favorite activities, events, symbols and foods that are popular during this holy month, along with Kuwait’s Ramadan culture, history and traditions.

Not only lifestyle and social activities change during the holy month of Ramadan, but even religious rituals. In Ramadan, there are two special prayers that are additional to the five regular prayers - taraweeh and qiyam. The mosques are fuller during this holy month compared to the rest of the year. During the last 10 nights of Ramadan, attendance soars, and worshippers spill out into the yards outside. The Grand Mosque particularly pitches huge tents for thousands of worshippers, although it hasn’t done so this year due to construction works.

Taraweeh follows the Isha prayer, and qiyam prayers are performed in the last quarter of the night during the last 10 nights of Ramadan. Both of these prayers are not obligatory, but Muslims aim to do more good deeds and be closer to God through these prayers. Most people pray taraweeh at the mosque immediately after the Isha prayer, while some pray it at home. Some mosques start the qiyam prayer at 11 pm, while other mosques at midnight, and some even later. The length of the prayers differs depending on the sermon of the imam and the break between the prayers.

Also, one of the last 10 nights is the Al-Qadr night, during which good deeds are multiplied manifold, so most Muslims prefer to be in the mosque. At the Grand Mosque, the number of worshippers reaches 50,000 people during the qiyam, and more than 100,000 on the 27th night of Ramadan.

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