In an age when the tarāwīḥ prayers of the blessed month of Ramaḍān are seen and treated by many as an unwelcome hindrance and burden, an erroneous practice that needs to be highlighted is that of remuneration for the khatm (complete recital) of the Holy Qurʾān. It has become normal in many masājid to make a payment to the reciter of the Holy Qurʾān and for the reciter to accept such a payment. In fact, such a payment is seen as veneration and promotion of the Holy Qurʾān. Hence, the sum paid to the reciter is usually very generous. The management committees of many masājid effectively compel those who live within the locality of the masjid or who had attended the tarāwīḥ prayers to make a fixed contribution toward this payment – a ‘tarāwīḥ tax’. Many make this payment reluctantly, out of embarrassment or for fear of being named and shamed. Others make the payment wholeheartedly, believing it to be a service to the Holy Qurʾān.

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