Tarawih, iftar tables and night gatherings revive the atmosphere of Ramadan in Iraq after its two-year interruption

Baghdad

- Ramadan this year will be different from what preceded it, as the Ramadan atmosphere full of spirituality and collective worship that was interrupted the past two years due to the outbreak of the Corona virus, and the tables of the Most Merciful, on which the poor depend on for breakfast, return, especially in light of the decline in the economic situation and the recent rise in prices.

Ramadan this year comes with a more spiritual and faith atmosphere, after a two-year interruption of group activities due to the outbreak of the Corona virus. Great at the tables of the Most Merciful, as well as on the subsequent nights.

Umm Al-Qura Mosque in Baghdad was decorated to celebrate Ramadan (Al-Jazeera Net)

Tarawih prayers

Tarawih prayer is one of the spiritual rituals that characterizes the holy month, and here it is returning again after a two-year hiatus. It is a prayer that is performed in congregation every night of the month of Ramadan after the evening prayer.

Those who are fasting begin to prepare for prayer and go to mosques to be filled with worshipers of different age groups, and women have a share, and many mosques have designated a section for women to perform prayer.

Ramadan Excellence

The imam and preacher of the Kubaisi Mosque in Baghdad, Saad al-Jubouri, said that Ramadan is being prepared at the beginning by preparing the mosque for worshipers and pilgrims, men and women, throughout the holy month, so that cleaning and sterilization operations are carried out for the mosque’s facilities throughout the day.

He told Al Jazeera Net that the mosque's organizers are keen during the holy month to hang murals and banners that include Quranic verses and prophetic hadiths to direct the fasting person towards a distinguished performance of his worship.

Al-Jubouri pointed out the keenness during the month of Ramadan to decorate the mosque with lighting, in addition to preparing breakfast tables every night, consisting of dates, milk, water, lentil soup and juices, in addition to the cooking, food and sweets offered by the benefactors.

He added that among the Ramadan activities in the mosque is preparing the Ramadan basket that contains some foodstuffs for distribution to the poor, the needy, widows and orphans.

The lecturer at the University of the Great Imam Dr. Khader Al-Zaidi (Al-Jazeera)

The lecturer at the University of the Great Imam, Dr. Khader Al-Zaidi confirms that the return to Ramadan activities this year has revived spirituality and warmed the hearts of believers as they returned to activities they were deprived of in the past two years.

In addition to worship, there are activities related to the holy month that can be resumed this year after stopping the precautionary measures due to Corona, such as family and charitable gatherings.

Al-Zaidi considered that Ramadan activities restore the spirit of worship to society, as praying in the mosque with the congregation has a great impact in restoring social gatherings, meetings and direct contact between people, and this gives their hearts peace and love and restores their communication again with themselves and with the houses of God, and with the spirit of The holy month, and the presence of supplications between relatives and relatives, in addition to the tables of the Most Merciful, which will return for this year, which will also restore the spirit of social solidarity in the one society.

Collective iftars are a Ramadan heritage that is not absent from the mosques of Iraq (Anatolia)

Ahmed Rahim, 55, one of the worshipers committed to praying in the mosque, told Al Jazeera Net that reopening mosques to perform Tarawih prayers and the five daily prayers has great merit and reward. Comfort and happiness and relieve them of the difficulties they suffer in the face of the expenses of life.

Rahim adds, that Ramadan this year brings us different times with the return of Tarawih prayers and Ramadan lessons, in addition to the return of Iftar tables and their famous tents in the streets and closed spaces, and the heritage and artistic activities associated with the occasion at full capacity.

This came after a two-year hiatus, as Corona measures prevented Ramadan pioneers in the years 2020 and 2021 from rituals and spirituality usual religiously and popularly, so it canceled iftar gatherings in homes and their tables in the streets and mosques, and completely and partially prohibited i’tikaf and Tarawih and moved their performance to homes.