Montenegrin Muslims flock to mosques twice a day to hear music-to-the-ear recitation of the Qur'an.Posted on 10/17/2006 12:51:42 PM PDT by Bokababe
Montenegrin Muslims flock to mosques twice a day to hear music-to-the-ear recitation of the Qur'an.
PODGORICA, Montenegro - Montenegrin Muslims huddle together around mosque imams twice a day during the holy fasting month of Ramadan to hear their music-to-the-ear recitation of the Qur'an and learn more about their holy book.
"Muslims gather twice a day to listen to the imam recite verses from Qur'an, especially that most of them do not know Arabic," Senad Makovic of the Islamic Sheikhdom told IslamOnline.net.
One of the recitation circles is held quarter of an hour before the Fajr prayer while the second follows `Asr prayers and runs through to Maghrib when Muslims break their fast.
"Such meetings with mosque imams have for years been a major feature of Ramadan in Montenegrin," Makovic said.
"What is new this Ramadan is that an increasing number of Muslims is joining in and that the meetings are held twice a day not just once as it used to be."
During Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain during daylight hours from food, drink, smoking and sex.
It is customary for Muslims during Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar, to spend most of the day studying the Qur'an.
The first verses of Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in Ramadan.
Imams Exchange
Montenegrin Muslims also swap imams during the holy fasting month to make the best of their experiences.
A file photo of a Macedonian Muslim.
"Imams deliver sermons at their mosques during the first days of the holy month," said Makovic.
"Then, they start moving to other mosques to benefit more Muslims with their religious knowledge," he added.
The Islamic Sheikhdom organizes a series of seminars and forums at Islamic centers in predominantly Muslim areas across the country on the virtues and rewards of fasting.
It has also resumed the publication of an Islamic monthly, ELIF, to answer questions about fasting, Qur'an recitation, i`tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), zakat and other similar issues.
The Southeastern European republic of Montenegro has a population of 630,500, nearly a quarter of them are Muslims.
Televised Ramadan
In neighboring Macedonia, Muslims are flocking to mosques not only to perform prayers but also tune in for sermons and lectures.
"Large numbers of Macedonian Muslims are attending religious lessons after the Tarawih," Afrim Alija, the media officer of the Islamic Sheikhdom in Macedonia.
He said many foreign Muslim scholars have been invited to Macedonia to lead the Tarawih prayers and serve the Muslim minority during the holy fasting month.
The Sheikhdom has also organized a committee to help strengthen the bonds among the Macedonian Muslims.
The high-profile committee tours mosques across the country, estimated at some 590, to coordinate religious and humanitarian activities.
"We also organize seminars on medical aspects related to the fasting," Alija added.
Ramadan programs have a solid foothold on the map of TV and radio channels during Ramadan.
Local newspapers and even website are extensively reporting on the Ramadan activities in the country.
Muslims make up nearly a third of Macedonia's two million population, according to the CIA Factbook.
But other estimates suggest Muslims make up half of the country's population.
PingBy the way, here are Wikipedia's numbers for the place:
Ethnic composition according to the 2003 census:
Montenegrins (Orthodox Christian): 267,669 (43.16%)
Serbs (Orthodox Christian): 198,414 (31.99%)
Albanians (Muslim): 80,163 (13.03%)
Bosniaks (Muslim): 48,184 (7.77%)
Slavic Muslims: 24,625 (3.97%)
Croats (Roman Catholic): 6,811 (1.1%)
Roma , Egyptians & Ashkalis (Mixed): 2,826 (0.46%)
Nowhere near "half Muslim"!
How could you stand to have that a-hole up on the minaret wailing away five times a day. It would make you want to get a big ole gun and do a little target practice.
Bosniaks and Slavic Muslims separately? What is the difference? Biosniaks are Slavic Muslims.
I was just in Kotor, Montenegro last week, just for a day (a port call on a cruise ship). I didn't notice a significant Muslim presence there, in sharp contrast to my three days in Istanbul, where the prayers blare on loudspeakers several times a day and the restaurants were packed the minute the sun went down due to the Ramadan daytime fast.
Heart-warming story........
Makes me want to go find a Bacon Cheeseburger to help them celebrate.
The Bay of Kotor is a Christian area. Most of the Muslims are south near the Albanian and Kosovo borders.
This is my response to Islam on balkans- 155 NORA-B, Serbian self-propelled howitzer, best howitzer in the world!
Actually, makes me want to join Kronos & his Howitzer and have "a celebration" of my own! And I don't even live there -- I can only imagine what the people who do live there feel like!
Four wives and no dog. Goes to explain why they're so mean.
Dogs have a sixth sense about bad individuals, "evil" detectors, that's why Muslims avoid them.
Stupid is as stupid does...
Four wives and no dog. Goes to explain why they're so mean.
No wonder they are nuts.......................
["There needs to be some of these bbq'ing in the yards!']
LOL
Madeline: You just made me fall out of my chair laughing :-)
LIBO
They may be supported by commie profs, but that fellow would have invented another source if the commies did not.
Bosniaks are either ethnic Serbs or ethnic Croats, and some can trace their roots back to the Ottomans (i.e. they're Turkish).
This is the only case where the state is older than the people. All nation-states got their name from the founding ethnic group. i.e. Franks --> France; Serbs --> Serbia; Germans --> Germany; but Bosnia --> Bosniak.
Of all my profs, only one was pro-US. Some of the most anti-US profs actually came from the United States to teach here (Ontario).
One openly stated that he was a Marxist. (He's from Kentucky.) I found it inappropriate of him to have done so. 1) He should've kept it to himself 2) I don't like Marxism. I did get an A, but always felt very uncomfortable during his lectures.
It's usually the people who have no clue what it's like living in a communist state that are the most ardent Marxists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.