Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance has started transmitting live the translation of the Taraweeh prayer from Makkah and Madinah on television. The ministry said it would continue the live translation of the Taraweeh prayer throughout Ramadan and the Tahajjud prayer in the last 10 days of the month.

Abdul Rahman Al-Attallah, the ministry's spokesman, said they made all necessary arrangements and preparations for the project including technical and engineering aspects.

He said experimental transmission of the translation was successfully carried out on Saturday, two days prior to the start of Ramadan.

He said the initiative was one of the technical and scientific services the ministry extended within its massive Dawa projects.

The spokesman explained that the interpretation of the Taraweeh prayer from the Grand Mosque in Makkah would be in English while from the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah it would be in French.

Attallah said the English translation would be transmitted on Qur'an TV while the French translation would be telecast on Sunna TV.

"The translations will be transmitted simultaneously with the imam's recitation of the Qur'an," he said.

Attallah said the translation was approved by King Fahd Qur'an Printing Complex in Madinah.

"The initiative will help convey the noble and moderate message of Islam to non-Arabic speaking people around the world," he added.