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A sleepless night for Muslims
The Roots of War
 The Muslims in Chennai forgot to sleep last night – all for their religion.
The Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed, as he had said, on one of the odd days in the last 10 days of Ramzan. The Muslims were asked to perform prayer in congregation, read the Quran, and attend special sermons the whole night on these odd days to get felicitous reward from Allah.
But Muslims generally observe this night only on the 27th day of the holy month and not on the 21st, 23rd, and 25th . When asked about the reason for this, many of them say the Quran was revealed on 27th day of Ramzan and they call it 'Lailathul Kathir'. (Auspicious Night).
The Makkah Mosque on Mount Road drew the most number of people on November 21, the 27th day of Ramzan. The mosque has been observing whole night prayers on the 21st, 23rd and 25th day of the month. This huge crowed is drawn to the mosque mainly due to the wonderful sermon of the senior imam of the mosque, Shamsuddin
Kasimi.
 Youths far outnumbered the aged at the mosque, while the kids had a gala time on the fourth floor of the mosque.
The tea shops and hotel near the mosque were open the whole night to serve the needs of the Muslims who may become tired and hunger.
The Ice House Mosque was equally lively, decorated with eye-catching lighting and Quranic verses inscribed in the marbles shining in the lights.
There was a group of young college-goers outside the mosque. They used the holy night to come together and party.
But the Bakeersha, the group that roams the roads of Ice House and Triplicane with a cone speaker tied to cycles, do their job of waking up the Muslims at the appropriate times to have their food before beginning their day of fast. They begin their holy work from 1.30 a.m. onwards. This 'wake up' call for the Muslims in the area has been going on for the past 50 years.
They continuously play Quranic verses and Urdu songs from the speakers tied to their cycles all along the way. But on the 27th of Ramzan , they did not need to work because most of the Muslims were awake.
At the biggest mosque in the city, Nawab Wallajah Big Mosque, too, the lights were not switched off for the holy night.
Many Iranians and Parsis living in the city come to this mosque, which was built 250 years ago by Nawab
Wallajah.
A Alimudeen
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