Whenever Ramadan approaches, certain questions trend on the internet. Among many questions, one that many people might not know but often ask is: Is praying Taraweeh in Ramadan obligatory (Fard) or Sunnah? Is Taraweeh a Bid'ah (innovation)? Should 8 rakahs be prayed in Taraweeh or 20 rakahs? There has been a heated debate among people for years; many people say 8 rakahs, while many say 20 rakahs. Some people even call Taraweeh a Bid'ah. We will find the answers to all these questions in this article today. I will cover all the points so that you can understand everything about Taraweeh.
WHAT IS TARAWEEH? (NIGHT PRAYER)
Taraweeh is a form of worship that is performed only during the month of Ramadan. Taraweeh is basically prayed after completing the Isha prayer. It is performed in units of two rakahs each. In many mosques, 8 rakahs are prayed, while in others, 20 rakahs are prayed. Every night, one Juz (part) is completed. There are 30 Juz in the Quran, so all 30 Juz are recited. Those who pray 8 rakahs of Taraweeh usually recite more than one Juz. Imams try to complete the entire Quran by the 27th of Ramadan because Laylatul Qadr also occurs then. On the other hand, many Imams complete the Quran in 10 days; they perform a super-fast recitation of the Quran where 3 Juz are recited per night.
HOW WAS TARAWEEH PRAYER ESTABLISHED?
Taraweeh prayer was also prayed during the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Many people say that the Prophet ﷺ skipped the Taraweeh prayer, and the answer to that is yes. When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prayed Taraweeh, he prayed it in congregation (Jama'at). However, he feared that Allah might make Taraweeh prayer Fard (obligatory), because even at that time, revelations continued to come. Due to this fear, he stopped leading Taraweeh. He prayed Taraweeh for only 3–4 nights, and later he would pray in his home with his family and advised everyone to pray in their own homes as well. Taraweeh was never led in Masjid an-Nabawi again during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Even during the rule of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, it remained the same.
REVIVAL OF TARAWEEH PRAYER DURING THE KHILAFAT OF UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB رضي الله عنه
During the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه, he saw that people were offering Taraweeh standing separately. He then united the people again and started the Taraweeh prayer by making them stand behind one Imam. Now, a question might arise in people's hearts: why did Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه do this when the Prophet ﷺ had skipped it and prayed in his home? I want you to think about it for a moment. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also used to lead Taraweeh in congregation, but he stopped it for only one reason: because he feared that Taraweeh might become Fard for every Muslim.
At the time the Prophet ﷺ was leading Taraweeh, as I mentioned, revelations were still coming. So, it was possible that Allah would make Taraweeh Fard. However, before the Prophet ﷺ passed away, all revelations were completely revealed and nothing was left. Revelations were only received by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during his time. After his passing, no more revelations come because they have ceased. So now, there was no fear. Keeping this in view, Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه simply revived this Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. He did not commit any Bid'ah. He did not innovate any new kind of worship on his own; rather, he revived what was the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. No Sahabi رضي الله عنه raised any objection; everyone was in agreement, whether it was Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه or Uthman ibn Affan رضي الله عنه.
TARAWEEH: SUNNAH OR FARD? AM I SINNING IF I DO NOT GO TO TARAWEEH?
Now, many people also fear: am I committing a sin by not going to Taraweeh? Is my fasting valid without praying Taraweeh? First of all, Taraweeh and fasting have nothing to do with each other. Fasting is Fard. It is Allah's command that you fast during Ramadan, and whoever does not do so commits a sin. But on the other hand, is it a sin not to pray Taraweeh? The answer is simple: No. Taraweeh is Sunnah Muakkadah; that is, it is a highly recommended Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. You will not be a sinner for not praying it, but according to scholars, there is much reward for praying Taraweeh and sins are forgiven. On the other hand, in the Hanafi Madhhab, it is believed that if someone habitually and intentionally misses all Taraweeh, they are sinful. If you cannot pray Taraweeh by going to the mosque for many reasons—such as health issues, old age, or if the mosque is not nearby—then you can pray Taraweeh at home. It is not necessary for you to know the entire Quran. If you want, you can also recite the normal Surahs that you pray in Fard Salah, either in congregation with your family or alone.
IS IT 8 RAKAH OR 20 RAKAH IN TARAWEEH?
This has been a very debatable question for years. Some people say 8 rakahs and some say 20 rakahs. Now we need to know what the truth is. The answer is very simple: both ways are correct. You can pray 8 rakahs or 20 rakahs if you wish. Taraweeh is led in units of two or four rakahs.
Salafi and Wahabi: 8 rakah + 3 Witr = 11.
Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali: 20 rakah + 3 Witr = 23.
Maliki: 36 rakah + 3 Witr = 39 (20 rakahs are also permissible.)
In the Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali, Salafi, and Wahabi schools, the Imam can lead Taraweeh while looking at the Mushaf (Quran book) if he wishes. But in the Hanafi belief, if the Imam leads while looking at the Mushaf, the prayer becomes invalid because pages have to be turned repeatedly during the prayer. Because that movement is not a part of the prayer.
CONCLUSION
Now, I would like to conclude here by saying only this: praying Taraweeh is Sunnah, not Fard. And Taraweeh is not a Bid'ah; rather, it is the teaching and practice of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself. He only stopped praying it because he feared that Allah might make Taraweeh Fard upon the Muslims, as revelations were still coming at that time. However, after the death of the Prophet ﷺ and after the caliphate of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, when the era of Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه came, he noticed that people were praying alone, so he revived the practice of the Prophet ﷺ again. It is not a Bid'ah but a "good Bid'ah," meaning it was not a new invention but the revival of a Sunnah. At that time, there was also no fear that it would become Fard because revelations were only sent to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which would not come after his passing. And yes, you can pray Taraweeh in your home with your family. It is not necessary that you must know the complete Quran; you can recite normal Surahs. In Taraweeh, you can pray 8 rakahs or 20 rakahs as you wish; there is no fixed number.
That is all for today. We will meet with a new topic next. Take care of yourself and your family. May Allah forgive all our sins and accept our supplications. Ameen.
Assalamu Alaykum
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