4a] Laylat al-Qadar - Dividing Qiyaam al-layl into two parts during the last ten days of Ramadan

4a] Laylat al-Qadar
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:-> 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.

And Allah knows best.

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