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When the month of Ramazan begins, Muslims enter into a period of discipline and worship: fasting during the day, and praying throughout the day and night. During Ramazan, special evening prayers are conducted during which long portions of the Quran are recited. These special prayers are known as taraweeh. The word taraweeh comes from an Arabic word which means to rest and relax. The prayer can be very long - well over an hour, during which one stands upright to read from the Quran and performs many cycles of movement - standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting. After each four cycles, one sits for a brief period of rest before continuing - this is where the name taraweeh - rest prayer comes from.
