The qiyaam of Ramadaan is called Taraweeh because they used to have a
rest (yastareehoona) after every four rak'ahs because they used to
make the prayers lengthy.The reason why some people object to that is
that it is contrary to what is customary among the people of their
countries and most of the people nowadays; and because ofignorance of
the Sunnah and reports and of the practice of the Sahaabah, Taabi'oon
and the imams of Islam; and because of what some people think, that
our prayer during thelast ten days is a kind of salat al-ta'qeeb which
was regarded as makroohby some scholars, but thatis not in fact the
case, because ta'qeeb is a voluntary prayer offered in congregation
after finishing Taraweeh and Witr.
This is how all the fuqaha'defined ta'qeeb, as a voluntary prayer
offered in congregation after finishing Witr immediately after
Taraweeh. From these words it is clear that prayer offered in
congregation before Witr is not ta'qeeb. End quote.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said in Ithaaf Ahl al-Eemaan bi Majaalis
Shahr Ramadaan:
In the last ten days of Ramadan, the Muslims increase their efforts in
worship, following the example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and seeking Laylat al-Qadr which is better than a
thousand months. Those who pray twenty-three rak'ahs at the beginning
of the month break it up during the last ten days, so they pray ten
rak'ahs at the beginning of the night, calling it Taraweeh, and they
pray ten at the end of the night, making them lengthy, and following
it with three rak'ahs of Witr, which they call qiyaam. This is a
variation in naming only. In fact all of it may be called Taraweeh or
it maybe called qiyaam. As for those who pray eleven or thirteen
rak'ahs at the beginning of the month, they add ten rak'ahs to that
during the last ten days, which they pray at the end of the night,
making it lengthy, makingthe most of the virtue of the last ten days
and increasing their efforts to do good. They have a precedent among
the Sahaabah and others whoprayed twenty-three rak'ahs, as stated
above. Thus they combine the two opinions: the opinionwhich favours
offering thirteen rak'ahs during the first twenty days and the opinion
which favoursoffering twenty-three during the last ten days.
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