As twilight descended over Islamabad’s skyline, Muhammad Bilal Orakzai stood up in front of rows of believers inside the huge, packed hall of the majestic Faisal Mosque in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad, ready to lead Taraweeh night prayers.
It is a huge honor that only a few are bestowed with each year, and it doesn’t come easy.
Orakzai, 22, is one of 14 reciters of the holy Qur’an, or qaris, chosen from across Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan by the country’s religious affairs ministry to lead Taraweeh, special Ramadan night prayers, at Faisal Mosque.
The 14 reciters were chosen to participate in the religious ministry’s annual “Mehfil-e-Shabeena” event at Faisal Mosque after a rigorous three-month-long competition. Now they nightly recite long portions of the holy Qur’an there and lead prayers.
“There is no doubt in the greatness of Faisal Mosque, and to recite here, we prepare hard the whole year round,” Orakzai told Arab News in an interview this week. “And when we get the fruit of that labor, it feels very good.
“When we recite taraweeh here, people line up to shake hands with us.
What are we? We are just humans, and humans are weak, but because of this Qur’an recitation [at Faisal Mosque], God has blessed us so much.”
