ALEXANDRIA, Egypt: Streets are closed and cars are parked everywhere as tens of thousands congregate at Commander Ibrahim mosque and its surrounding streets, as their yearly habit to perform the Tahajod prayer during the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan, where they become enthralled by Sheikh Hatem's tender recitation of Qur'an. This year, the Tahajod prayer began earlier in the month, but the number of people doubled daily as the final days of Ramadan approached. The people pray everywhere around the mosque, covering three districts and filling a number of streets between police regulating the masses, closing the streets, and allowing only one row of parking along the Alexandrian promenade. At first glimpse, it is easy to notice that most of people are youth between 18- and 35-years-old. For many, it provokes the question, “are all of them here to pray and fulfill there spiritual needs or are there other reasons and motives behind their attendance in this huge gathering?” Ibrahim, a 21-year-old student told Bikya Masr that “I don't pray regularly to be frank, but now it's the atmosphere of Ramadan and we encourage each other to pray.” Many of those present around the mosque share Ibrahim's sentiments. It is a time to come together and the prayer offers just that. When asked about the significance of Ramadan in general, and the Tahajod prayer in particular, Ibrahim said “Ramadan is a month of spiritualty, we should make the best of it.” Moataz, a 27-year-old accountant, argued that “Ramadan is a month of spirituality, but it is taken for granted by a plethora of TV series and a carnival of food. This is unfortunately what Ramadan has become, and to tell you the truth, I am here because friends of mine are here, otherwise I don't think I would've came on my own.” Moataz looks at a couple of teenagers wearing skinny pants and laughs as he points, “see, don't tell me they are here to get spiritual.” Ibrahim, Moataz and others agree that not everyone here is to pray for the sake of spiritual fulfillment, and maybe some are here to “show-off” while others feel they are compelled to come otherwise they will be embarrassed in front of their friends and family members. Ibrahim added that “you can't blame people for not coming, there are a plenty of reasons why someone won't like to come here to pray.” He pointed at how crowded it gets and how people push each other to get nearer to a speaker or to the mosque, and about the lectures they sometime get from “some long bearded men.” Haj Ahmed, a man in his 50s seemed interested in the questions, and when he was asked about the significance of Ramadan, and what does he think of the real intentions and motives he said “it's out of the question that Ramadan is for worship then worship then worship.“ He quoted from “The Beginning of Guidance” by Al-Imam Al-Ghazali “If people are fair, they would realize the fact that they are compelled to most of what they are at science, worship and as well as at habits, only by priggishness to people, which renders their deeds of no avail.” Haj Ahmed continued “you can't get inside people to know their real intentions, but from their lives apart from Ramadan you can tell that there's a group of, I don't want to call them hypocrites, but contradicted people here, and may Allah guide everyone!” He continued to say that “still, I am happy to see many Muslims here, whatever their intentions are!” At the end of the prayer, the thousands of people presence say in unison “amen,” marking the end of the spiritual process. Despite people's intentions, this Ramadan saw a massive increase in worshipers at the mosque and certainly next year will see even more. BM
