2006年VOA标准英语-Youngest Imams Fill a Void in Ramadan

By June Soh
Washington, D.C.
17 October 2006
 
watch Youngest Imam report

Two teenagers who used to spend their time playing computer games after school are suddenly finding themselves as spiritual leaders.  Their role relieves a U.S. Muslim community's burden during Ramadan and gives hope to the community as well.

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Aman Chhipa  
  
Aman Chhipa is 13 years old, an eighth grader at a Washington-area middle school.  He is taking on an unusual responsibility for a teenage boy -- leading a special prayer called Taraweeh during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

"I felt nervous.  I was scared,” he says. “I am, 'like how am I going to do this?' It is such a huge responsibility. Well, later on, like a few days later, I built confidence. I said, 'O.K. I can do this.' "

Aman and another teenager, 16-year-old Uzair Jawed¹, are being entrusted² with the revered³ role of imam at the Islamic Community Center of Northern Virginia in the Washington D.C suburbs.

Uzair Jawed   
  
"It's nervous because they expect you not making any mistakes so you have a lot of responsibility to know it [Koran] good and you have to recite it like perfect to them," says Uzair.

A cleric from South Africa, who had led the center's prayers during Ramadan in past years, was deported⁴ this year, right after he had arrived at the airport. It was the day before Ramadan started.

Suddenly, leaders at the Islamic center found themselves desperate to find a "hafiz," a person who has memorized the more than 6,200 Arabic verses⁵ of the Koran and can recite them without looking at the text. They searched among the adults, in their community and elsewhere in the U.S. and found no one.

That's when they turned to Aman and Uzair.

Mohmedsharif Munshi is the president of the Islamic center. "We tried the first day.  Everybody was uneasy⁶, then he [Aman] turned out really excellent.  And another boy, 16-year-old also [excellent].  So they are taking turns.  We are really enjoying their recitals⁷. So thanks God, everything worked out good."

Aman's parents are from India.  Determined⁸ to make him a hafiz, they sent him to a school for higher Islamic studies in Pennsylvania at age seven.   Aman memorized the Koran by the time he was 10.  Uzair's family is from Pakistan.  He memorized the Koran by age 13.

Aman's father, Nasir Chhipa, is a director at the Islamic center.   He says some mosques¹⁰ in the U.S. have hafizes in their area, but 70 to 80 percent rely on scholars from overseas.  He says there is a growing need for U.S. Muslims to stop depending on those from other countries since the U.S government has applied¹¹ stricter entry regulations since the 9/11 attacks.

"What I believe is we have to make our own scholars because we cannot depend on the world, says Chhipa. “We will have to produce our own scholars from America."

Munshi, the center's president, agrees. "That is very much essential.  I think local talents who are born here have more power of convincing and better representing and everything.  We should create local talents no matter how much time it takes and how much effort and everything it takes."

Islamic communities say Aman and Uzair may be the youngest imams in the U.S.  

"I feel special because I think Allah has been giving me a talent so I shouldn't waste it. I should use it.  I didn't know that this opportunity would come so fast," Aman said.

But with the opportunity comes responsibility.  Gone are the days that Aman could spend hours sitting in front of his computer playing games -- at least for a month.  Once he comes home after school, his life as a Muslim leader starts.  In between his religious duties, he constantly practices the Koran alone or with Uzair, who has become his best friend.

"The main thing is that memorizing is the easy part,” Aman tells us. “That is the first step. Now the second step is to remember because the prophet¹², peace be upon him, said that the Koran is nobody's friend.  If you forget it, it will forget you."

Aman's long day starts before five o'clock in the morning with prayers at home. Then there's school -- followed by more prayers. After he leads the final nightly prayer at the mosque⁹, his homework usually keeps him up until about 11:30. But it's all part of a day's work. "I feel a bit tired and I feel happy that another day is completed. I feel like I accomplished¹³ something."

Despite the long hours, Aman says, he looks forward to each day, and he is thankful to Allah for giving him the gift.

1 jawed   

adj.有颌的有颚的

参考例句：

• The color of the big-jawed face was high. 那张下颚宽阔的脸上气色很好。 来自辞典例句
• She jawed him for making an exhibition of himself, scolding as though he were a ten-year-old. 她连声怪他这样大出洋相，拿他当十岁的孩子似的数落。 来自辞典例句

2 entrusted   

v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

4 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 verses   

诗( verse的名词复数 )； 韵文； 诗节； (的)节

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。
• Tom sang the verses and everybody joined in chorus. 汤姆唱独唱部分，然后大家一起唱合唱部分。

6 uneasy   

adj.心神不安的，担心的，令人不安的

参考例句：

• He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
• She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。

7 recitals   

n.独唱会( recital的名词复数 )；独奏会；小型音乐会、舞蹈表演会等；一系列事件等的详述

参考例句：

• His recitals have earned him recognition as a talented performer. 他的演奏会使他赢得了天才演奏家的赞誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her teachers love her playing, and encourage her to recitals. 她的老师欣赏她的演奏，并鼓励她举办独奏会。 来自互联网

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

10 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

11 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

12 prophet   

n.预言家，先知，提倡者

参考例句：

• A prophet made a prophecy that the kingdom would fall.一位预言家预言那个王国将要灭亡。
• The pity is that you are not a prophet.可惜你不能未卜先知。

13 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。