Q. During Ramadan I used to hold a copy of the Qur’an with translation during the Taraweeh prayer. This helped me to understand and concentrate, as I do not read Arabic. However, someone objected to what I did, saying that it was not right. Could you please explain whether it was right for me to do so? Moreover, is it right to hold the Qur’an in prayer with the aim of correcting one’s pronunciation? May I ask where should one look up the Discourse section on your website?
Fatma M.
A. What you did was to introduce a learning dimension into an act of worship. The Taraweeh prayer is an act of worship, often involving the reading of long passages of the Qur’an. While learning the Qur’an and understanding its meaning may be classified as an act of worship, it is not a formal one like prayers. Therefore, we cannot introduce one into the other.
Holding the Qur’an while one is praying, either to read out of it or to follow what the imam is reciting is permissible in the voluntary prayer of Taraweeh. Some scholars say that this cannot be done in obligatory prayers.
To read its translation while the imam is reciting the Arabic text is not the same. It involves a totally different mental exercise, and it diverts one’s attention.
Therefore, it should not be done. I appreciate that it could keep you more focused on your worship, but you should devote time for learning other than what is afforded by prayers.
The same applies to the attempt to correct your pronunciation. This is a learning exercise and it should be given time separate from prayers.
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