Concerning Taraaweeh Fatawa pdf download

Concerning Taraaweeh Fatawa

CONCERNING TARAAWEEH FATAWA

What number of raka’aat    does  the  Taraaweeh2 prayer consist of? Does it have a specific number?

What number of raka’aat is best?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All Praise is due to Allah, and may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon Allah’s Messenger, and upon his family, companions, and whoever follows his guidance.

What has authentically been reported of the Prophet;

I suggests that there is much flexibility with respect to the number of raka’aat in the salaat al-layl (the night prayer), and they are not restricted to a certain number. However, it is the Sunnah3 that the believer, male and female, pray in pairs of two, making tasleem at the end of every two [raka’aat].

Amongst these ahaadeeth5 is one which has been reported by al- Bukhari and Muslim.6 In this hadeeth of ibn ‘Umar, the Prophet said, “Salaat al-layl is in pairs of two; whosoever amongst you fears the break of dawn let him pray one rak’ah, for it will be a witr for all the raka’aat he has previously offered.”

His saying, “Salaat al-layl is in pairs of two,” is a declarative statement but has the implication [in usool al-fiqh8] of a com- mand; it is equivalent to his saying, “Pray in the night in pairs of two.”

What is intended here by praying in pairs of two is that the Amongst these ahaadeeth5 is one which has been reported by al- Bukhari and Muslim.

 In this hadeeth of ibn ‘Umar, the Prophet said, “Salaat al-layl is in pairs of two; whosoever amongst you fears the break of dawn let him pray one rak’ah, for it will be a witr for all the raka’aat he has previously offered.”

His saying, “Salaat al-layl is in pairs of two,” is a declarative statement but has the implication [in usool al-fiqh8] of a com- mand; it is equivalent to his saying, “Pray in the night in pairs of two.”

What is intended here by praying in pairs of two is that the tasleem is to be pronounced after every two raka’aat. Then, the prayer is to be concluded by performing one rak’ah, which is known as the witr prayer.

 This is how the Prophet used to per- form his prayer. He would pray in the night in pairs of two, and then pray one rak’ah of witr, as was described in different narrations by ‘Aa’ishah, ibn ‘Abbaas, as well as other Sahaabah,10 may Allah be pleased with them all. ‘Aa’ishah said, “The Messenger of Allah would perform ten raka’aat of prayer, pronouncing the tasleem after every two. He would then perform one rak’ah of witr.”

And she also said, “The Prophet would not increase the number of raka’aat in the night prayer more than eleven, neither in Ramadaan nor in any other month.

He would pray four raka’aat, let alone their excellency and their length, then he would pray an- other four, let alone their excellency and their length, and then he would pray three…” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Some people have mistakenly presumed that these four raka’aat are to be performed with one tasleem, but this is not correct.

What is meant here is that the Prophet would conclude the prayer by pronouncing the tasleem after every two raka’aat, as is mentioned in the previous hadeeth as well as in his saying, “The night prayer is in pairs of two.”

Another evidence is what has been authentically reported by al-Bukhari on the authority of ibn ‘Abbaas, that the Prophet used to pronounce the tasleem after every two raka’aat.