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The Story of Tarawih Prayer!

A Moment with Our Prophet, Muhammad (S)

By Imam Zijad Delic

A Moment with Our Prophet, Muhammad (S) — By Imam Zijad Delic

Day 278: The Story of Tarawih Prayer!

‘A’isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (S) prayed one night in the mosque and people also prayed along with him. He (S) then prayed on the following night and there were many persons. Then on the third or fourth night (many people) gathered there, but the Messenger of Allah (S) did not come out to them (for leading the Tarawih prayer). When it was morning, he (S) said:

“I saw what you were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the prayer) for I feared that this prayer might become obligatory for you. (He the narrator) said: It was the month of Ramadan.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ ‏ “‏ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ ‏.‏

Source: Muslim

Transliteration: “Qad Ra’aytullatdhi Sana’tum Falam Yamna’ani Minal Khuruji Ilaikum Illa Anni Khashitu An Tuqrida ‘Alaikum.”

The month of Ramadan is the great opportunity and the perfect time for doing good deeds.

During this month, all actions are multiplied 10 to 700 or more times, since Allah increases to those whom He wishes so.

Abu Huraira (r) narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied from ten to seven hundred times. Allah the Exalted says: Except for fasting, for it is done for my sake and I will reward it.” (Muslim)

كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعمِائَة ضِعْفٍ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ

Allah has commanded various acts of worship to the believers and made these acts as means for coming closer to Him and the Messenger (S) has recommended some as well.

Thus, believers seek the nearness of Him through mandatory and non-mandatory deeds.

The deeds mentioned here include all types of good such as worship as well as helping others, acts of compassion or kindness to the fellow human beings and other beings.

But there are certain devotions in Ramadan which are especially important in our tradition.

One of these devotions is ‘Salatut Tarawih.’

Observing prayers during the nights of Ramadan has a special merit much more that doing it in other nights.

The Messenger of Allah (S) encouraged standing for night prayer in the month of Ramadan, without imposing it on the companions.

He (S) told them, as narrated by Abu Huraira (r): “Whoever observes night prayer in Ramadan as an expression of his faith and to seek reward from Allah, his sins will be forgiven.” {Bukhari, Muslim}

مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ

The prayer performed every night during the month of Ramadan, after ‘Isha Salat, is called Tarawih.

Tarawih is derived from the Arabic root word, Raha, which means to rest and relax.

It is so called, for the Tarawih prayers have prolonged recitation of the Qur’an, and therefore the Musallies used to stop for rest and relaxation after every four raka’ats (units), and after the rest they would continue again with new four units till next rest.

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (S) was the first to establish the Sunnah of congregational (jama’ah prayer) of Tarawih in the Masjid.

He prayed Tarawih with the Sahabah, but when he (S) saw that large number of them turned out for Salat third day he (S) did not continue to come and pray the Tarawih in congregation.

He feared that it might be made mandatory on the Ummah in the month of Ramadan, and that they might not be able to do it.

‘Aisha (r) has been reported as saying: “That the Messenger of Allah (S) prayed one night in the mosque and people also prayed along with him. He then prayed on the following night and there were many persons. Then on the third or fourth night (many people) gathered there, but the Messenger of Allah (S) did not come out to them (for leading the Tarawih prayer). When it was morning he said: I saw what you were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the prayer) for I feared that this prayer might become obligatory for you. (He the narrator) said: It was the month of Ramadan.” (Muslim)

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ ‏ “‏ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ ‏.‏

After the Messenger (S) passed away, there was no reason to fear that Allah would declare the Tarawih obligatory.

With the death of the Messenger (S), there will be no more revelation to change any law or rule by abrogation.

The Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them, after the death of the Messenger of Allah (S), recognizing the voluntary nature of the Tarawih, started to observe it individually at home or in the Masid in scattered groups.

This tradition was carried during the period of the first Khalifa Abu Bakr (r) and also during the early period of the second Khalifa ‘Umar (r).

On one night of Ramadan ‘Umar (r) attended the Masjid and saw people praying individually in every corner of the Masjid with a few in groups.

He did not like the sight.

The Khalifa ‘Umar (r) feared that the people might slacken in its performance, so he decided to gather all them in one congregation and pray the Tarawih together behind one Imam, once again, in Jama’ah.

He appointed the famous Sahabi and the Qari (the Qur’an reader) Ubayy b. Ka’b (r) to lead the Tarawih.

‘Umar’s (r) practice was considered by the Sahabah as reviving a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S).

Abdur Rahman ibn ‘Abdin Al Qari said: “I went out along with ‘Umar ibn Al Khattab (ra), in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in separate groups – a man praying alone or a man leading a small group. So ‘Umar said: ‘I think it would be better if I gathered them all behind a single reciter.’ Then he made up his mind and gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b. Then I went out with him on another night and the people were praying behind their reciter (Ubayy ibn Ka’b), so ‘Umar said: ‘What an excellent innovation this is (what an excellent revival of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S).” {Bukhari}

وَعَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَرَجْتُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ لَيْلَةً فِي رَمَضَانَ، إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ، فَإِذَا النَّاسُ أَوْزَاعٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ يُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَيُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ فَيُصَلِّي بِصَلاَتِهِ الرَّهْطُ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنِّي أَرَى لَوْ جَمَعْتُ هَؤُلاَءِ عَلَى قَارِئٍ وَاحِدٍ لَكَانَ أَمْثَلَ‏.‏ ثُمَّ عَزَمَ فَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ لَيْلَةً أُخْرَى، وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَةِ قَارِئِهِمْ، قَالَ عُمَرُ نِعْمَ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ، وَالَّتِي يَنَامُونَ عَنْهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّتِي يَقُومُونَ‏.‏ يُرِيدُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ، وَكَانَ النَّاسُ يَقُومُونَ أَوَّلَهُ‏.‏

The Tarawih is a Sunnah al Muakkadah (supererogatory Sunnah prayers) to all Muslims, men and women and praying it in congregation is excellent and there is no denial of its merit.

Praying the Tarawih in Jama’ah is also a good practice to read more from the Qur’an or even to finish reading of the whole Qur’an, if possible.

Otherwise, one may pray reciting as much of the Qur’an as he has retained (memorized).

Some scholars allow reading from the Mushaf during the Tarawih.

As far the number of Rak’ahs to be offered for the Tarawih, the Scholars have different opinions.

Imam Malik has reported that Ubayy b. Ka’b (r) prayed twenty rak’ahs in the Messenger’s (S) Masjid.

Traditionally, Muslims everywhere have offered twenty reka’ahs.

This is inherited from the practice of the Khalifa ‘Umar (r), during whose time there was no dispute on this issue.

And from the period of the Khalifah ‘Umar (r) there is a sound proof explaining how to perform the Tarawih as explained earlier.

However, on this subject there is a room for variation.

Some reports say that at the Messenger’s Masjid thirty-six rak’ahs were performed.

The second opinion is eight rak’ahs based on the hadith from ‘Aisha (r).

Nowadays, twenty rak’ahs of the Tarawih is performed in the Haram in Makkah.

Twenty rak’ahs Tarawih is the Ijma’ah (consensus of the ‘Ulama).

What we should remember in connection with this issue is that no Muslim should create a rift or division in the community over such Fiqhi issue.

The unity of our community (Ummah) and the solidarity among brothers and sisters, especially in the month of forgiveness, should not be sacrificed by fighting over issues which are left flexible in our Din.

Another matter of importance related to Tarawih is that one must maintain a slow pace when praying Tarawih so as to offer a better and more accurate prayer, but at the same time one must not make it hard and difficult for participants.

Offering a swift and fast prayer does not conform to the sound teachings of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (S).

In fact, praying Tarawih in a swift manner may cause the prayer to be incomplete.

Those who lead the Tarawih in such a swift way, must know that they are leading others in prayers and that they are not praying alone for themselves.

Thus, they should be aware of the proper manners of prayers, for example proper recitation, ruku, sujud, etc.

Muslims should try to maintain this prayer during the month of Ramadan as much as they can and try to utilize their time wisely during this blessed month.

During this Ramadan (2022), after two years of facing challenges of not praying Tarawih in the masjid, we are blessed this Ramadan with a chance to engage ourselves more in the ‘Ibadah, such as Tarawih, in our masajid.

We should not neglect the Tarawih prayers without a good reason, for it is a part of physical and spiritual training for the believers — men and women — during this great month.

Let us ask Almighty Allah to accept our prayers, our supplications and our good deeds in the month of Allah’s Mercy and His forgiveness!

Ya Allah! Help us to establish this Sunnah in our lives so that we maximize all the blessings in the month of Rahmah (Allah’s Mercy)!

Allahumma Amin!