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There is a woman whose husband engaged in foreplay with her after Fajr in Ramadan, and she said to him: Leave me alone so that I do not break my fast. But he persisted despite her request. Then she turned her back on him and ignored him, and she said to herself: Let him do whatever he wants, so that my fast will be broken but he will take the sin. And after she said that to herself, he left her alone and did not do anything. But when she thought that, her only intention was that he alone should take the sin, and she did not intend to break her fast or to eat or drink. I am afraid that what I thought may be a cause of my fast being spoiled, if I truly intended to break the fast because of that, or it was a mere thought.
I hope that you will give a detailed reply about the nature of my intention to break the fast for this reason, or was it mere thoughts.
Also, sometimes I am faced with waswaas concerning my intention or the validity of my fast, so please advise me.
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Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
If a person intends to break his fast whilst he is fasting, and has decided to do so, and is not hesitant about it, his fast is rendered invalid according to the correct opinion, even if he changes his mind about that intention, and he has to make up that day.
But if he is hesitant about breaking the fast, or makes it conditional upon something, such as if he says: If I find food or drink, I will break my fast, then he does not find anything, in that case his fast is still valid.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
A man was travelling and fasting in Ramadan, and he intended to break his fast, but he could not find anything with which to break his fast. Then he changed his mind about that intention and completed the fast until Maghrib. Is his fast valid?
He replied:
His fast is not valid and he has to make it up, because when he intended to break the fast, he broke the fast. But if he had said: If I find water, I will drink it, otherwise I will continue my fast, and he did not find water, in this case his fast is still valid, because he did not definitely intend to break it; rather he made breaking the fast conditional upon the availability of something, and that thing did not become available, so his original intention remained in effect.
End quote fromLiqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh(29/20).
What appears to be the case is that what happened with you is the latter: in other words, you made breaking the fast conditional upon your husband continuing with this matter, which he did not do. Intending to break the fast is one thing, and making it conditional upon something that did not happen is something else, on which the ruling is different.
Based on that, your fast is valid and you do not have to make it up.
But if you did intend to break the fast, or you think it most likely now that this was your intention, then your fast was invalidated and you have to make up that day.
If you feel something like that in your heart and you want to be on the safe side and fast another day to make up for that day, then this is good, in sha Allah.
See the answer to question no. 95766.
But if you are usually affected by waswaas regarding your intention or the validity of acts of worship, then do not repeat the fast of that day, and assume that it was valid. Beware of getting carried away with waswaas, for this leads to much trouble and evil, and will not stop until it spoils a person’s worship and his religious commitment as a whole.
There have been many answers on our website that warn against getting carried away with waswaas.
Secondly:
If a man is able to control himself and prevent himself from getting carried away and transgressing the limits of Allah by having intercourse or ejaculating, then it is permissible for him whilst fasting to engage in intimacy with his wife by embracing her, kissing her and so on.
See the answer to question no. 49614.
Thirdly:
It is not permissible for a woman to try to make her husband fall into a haraam action, or to approve of that. Rather what she must do is stop him and prevent him from doing that to the best of her ability. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.” Narrated by Muslim (49).
Letting your husband do that, without trying to stop him, so that he would do something forbidden, commit sin and be exposed to the punishment of Allah in the month of mercy is a haraam aim and striving to make someone commit an act of disobedience to Allah, or approving thereof. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The one who sees someone eating or drinking in Ramadan, and knows that he is fasting, should remind him, because if he forgot then he is excused, but you did not forget. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)” [al-Maa’idah 5:2].
Al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri(70/44)
If this is obligatory with regard to all people, then how about if it is one’s husband? Undoubtedly in this case it is even more obligatory, and his rights over you are more emphasized.
So you must repent and seek forgiveness, and not do such a thing again. You should be the best helper to your husband in matters pertaining both to this world and the hereafter, therefore if you see him committing a sin or wanting to commit a sin, you should tell him not to do that and remind him of Allah.
And Allah knows best.
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1have asked this earlier but did not get a satisfactory answer. My question is about Taraweeh Prayer in Ramadan. You have answered to me in a question before that Taraweeh should not be more that 11 rakat. It has been authentically reported that Muhammad SAAW prayed Taraweeh 3 times in Ramadan and it consisted 11 Rakah. Also the book by Shaykh Naasir-ud-Din Al-Albani (May Allah have mercy on him)، Qiyam and Taraweeh states that Taraweeh should be 11 Rakah. The sunnah is 11 Rakat. Now the question which is confusing and often becomes a discussion among brothers is whether the number of Rakat in Taraweeh should be 11 Rakat or 20 Rakat. Some people during Ramadan go to masjids where the Imam does 11 Rakats and other go to Masjids where the Imam does 20 Rakats. In most of the Hanafi Masjids around the US the Imam does 20 Rakat. The point to note is whether 20 Rakat or 11 Rakat the Imam completes the entire Qurran during Ramadan. The people are very sentitive about this issue and this issue becomes a topic in gathering in the United States. The people who pray 20 Rakat blame the other groug praying 11 as being wrong and the group praying 11 Rakat blames the group praying 20 as wrong. This is a big fitnah in the US. This leads to disunity. People always quote that in Prophets Mosque the Imam prays 20 Rakats and also in Masjid-ul-Haraam in Mecca the Imam prays 20 Rakat. Also those who during Ramadan go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah say that the Imam prays 20 Rakat. This is a confusion.
Please answer and explain to me the following issues:
1. The sunnah is to pray 11 Rakat then why is Prophets mosque in Medina and also in Masdid-ul-Haram the imam leads the people to pray 20 Rakat? Why? Why is this different from the sunnah?
2. Why are the number of Rakat of Taraweeh in Prophets mosque and Masjid-ul-Haraam 20 Rakat? Please explain to us so.
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Praise be to Allaah.
We do not think that the Muslims should be so sensitive with regard to issues that are the matter of scholarly differences or make them the cause of division and fitnah among the Muslims.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, when speaking about the matter of one who prays ten rak’ahs with the imam, then sits down and waits for Witr and does not complete the Taraaweeh prayers with the imam:
It grieves us deeply that we find in the Muslim ummah a group which differs concerning matters in which differences of opinion are acceptable, and they take these differences as a means to cause division. Differences within the ummah existed at the time of the Sahaabah, yet they remained united. The youth in particular and to all those who are committed to Islam must remain united, because they have enemies who are laying in wait.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/225
Two groups have gone to extremes with regard to this matter. The first group denounced everyone who prays more than eleven rak’ahs and said that doing so was bid’ah. The second group denounced those who do only eleven rak’ahs and said that they are going against scholarly consensus (ijmaa’).
Let us listen to what Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Here we say that we should not go to extremes or be negligent. Some people go to extremes in adhering to the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and say that it is not permissible to do more than the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and they aggressively denounce those who do more than that, saying that they are sinners.
This is undoubtedly wrong. How can they be sinners, when the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), upon being asked about night prayers, said that they are to be done two by two, and he did not specify any particular number? Of course the one who asked him about the night prayer did not know the number, because if he did not know how to do it, it is even more likely that he did not know the number. And he was not one of those who served the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) so that we might say that he knew what happened inside his house. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him how to do it but did not say how many times, it may be understood that the matter is broad in scope, and that a person may pray one hundred rak’ahs then pray Witr with one rak’ah.
With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Pray as you have seen me praying”, this does not apply in absolute terms even for these people. Hence they do not say that a person should pray Witr with five rak’ahs sometimes and with seven rak’ahs sometimes and with nine rak’ahs sometimes. If we understand it in absolute terms, then we would have to pray Witr with five rak’ahs sometimes and with seven rak’ahs sometimes and with nine rak’ahs sometimes. But what is meant by the hadeeth is pray as you have seen me praying with regard to how to pray not how many rak’ahs, unless there is a text to state what the number is.
Whatever the case, a person should not be strict with people with regard to a matter that is broad in scope. We have even seen some brothers who are strict on this matter accusing the imams who pray more than eleven rak’ahs of following bid’ah, and they leave the mosque, thus missing out on the reward of which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever stands with the imam until he finishes (the prayer), the reward of qiyaam al-layl will be recorded for him.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 806; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi, 646). Some of them even sit down after completing ten rak’ahs, thus breaking up the rows of worshippers by sitting there, and sometimes they start talking and disturb the people who are praying.
We have no doubt that their intentions are good and they are doing their best to come to the right conclusion, but that does not mean that they are correct.
The other group does the opposite. They sternly denounce those who pray only eleven rak’ahs and say that they have gone against scholarly consensus. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!”
[al-Nisa’ 4:115]
All the generations who came before you only knew the number as twenty-three rak’ahs, and they denounce anyone who says anything different.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/73-75
With regard to the evidence quoted by those who say that it is not permissible to do more than eight rak’ahs in Taraaweeh, they quote the hadeeth of Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, who asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), “How did the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pray during Ramadaan?” She said: “He did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs in Ramadaan or at other times. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray three. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, will you sleep before you pray Witr?’ He said, ‘O ‘Aa’ishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.’”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1909; Muslim, 738
They said: This hadeeth indicates that the Messenger of Allaah was consistent in his prayers at night in Ramadaan and at other times.
The scholars refuted this use of the hadeeth as evidence by saying that this is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, but the fact that he did something does not imply that it is obligatory.
The evidence that there is no set number for prayers at night – which include Taraaweeh – is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar according to which a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about prayer at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Prayers at night are to be offered two by two (two rak’ahs at a time). If any of you fears that the time of dawn is approaching then let him pray one rak’ah as Witr.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 846; Muslim, 749)
If we look at what the scholars of the prominent schools of thought said, you will clearly see that this matter is broad in scope and that there is nothing wrong with doing more than eleven rak’ahs.
Al-Sarkhasi, who is one of the imams of the Hanafi school, said:
It is twenty rak’ahs, apart from Witr, in our view.
Al-Mabsoot, 2/145
Ibn Qudaamah said:
The favoured view according to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him), is that it is twenty rak’ahs. This was the view of al-Thawri, Abu Hanfeefah and al-Shaafa’i. Maalik said it is thirty-six.
Al-Mughni, 1/457
Al-Nawawi said:
Taraaweeh prayer is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus. Our view is that it is twenty rak’ahs with ten tasleems, and it is permissible to pray it individually or in congregation.
Al-Majmoo’, 4/31
These are the views of the four imams concerning the number of rak’ahs of Taraaweeh prayer. All of them said something more than eleven rak’ahs. Perhaps the reasons why they said something more than eleven rak’ahs include the following:
1- They thought that the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah did not mean that this was the specific number.
2- A greater number was narrated from many of the salaf.
Seeal-Mughni, 2/604;al-Majmoo’, 4/32
3- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray eleven rak’ahs and make them very lengthy, so much so that it used to take him most of the night. Indeed, one night in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in praying Taraaweeh, he did not end his prayer until just before dawn, and the Sahaabah feared that they would miss suhoor. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) loved to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and they did not feel that it was too long. The scholars thought that if the imam made the prayer so long, this would be too difficult for the members of the congregation and that might put them off. So they thought that the imam should make the recitation shorter and increase the number of rak’ahs.
The point is that the one who prays eleven rak’ahs in the manner narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is doing well and is following the Sunnah. Whoever makes the recitation shorter and increases the number of rak’ahs is also doing well. A person who does either of these two things is not to be denounced. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
If a person prays Taraaweeh according to the madhhabs of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, with twenty rak’ahs, or according to the madhhab of Maalik, with thirty-six rak’ahs, or with thirteen or eleven rak’ahs, he has done well, as Imam Ahmad said, because there is nothing to specify the number. So the greater or lesser number of rak’ahs depends on how long or short the qiyaam (standing in the prayer) is.
Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 64
Al-Suyooti said:
What is narrated in the saheeh and hasan ahaadeeth is the command to observe night prayers during Ramadaan, which is encouraged without specifying a particular number. It is not proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rak’ahs of Taraaweeh, rather that he prayed at night, with an unspecified number of rak’ahs. Then he delayed it on the fourth night lest it become obligatory for them and they might not be able to do it. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said: There is no saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rak’ahs of Taraaweeh. The narration which suggests that he “used to pray twenty rak’ahs” is extremely weak (da’eef).
Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/142-145
So you should not be surprised that people pray Taraaweeh as twenty rak’ahs. There have been generation after generation of those imams (who used to pray twenty rak’ahs), and all of them are good.
And Allaah knows best.
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-What is the ruling on praying supererogatory (naafil) prayers in Ramadan? What is the number of rak‘ahs that it is prescribed to pray in Taraweeh? I have seen some deviant groups, such as the Sufis and others, praying Taraweeh with thirty rak‘ahs. Is there any evidence for that?
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Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Offering supererogatory (naafil) prayers in Ramadan, especially voluntary night prayers (qiyaam), comes under the heading of that which is mustahabb (encouraged), because of the general encouragement to do acts of worship in Ramadan, both prayers and other things, and because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recommended praying qiyaam in Ramadan especially. He said: “Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (37) and Muslim (759). An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) included it in a chapter entitled: Chapter: Encouragement to pray qiyaam in Ramadan, which is Taraweeh.
So it is encouraged for the Muslim in Ramadan to regularly offer the Sunnah prayers both before and after the obligatory prayers, and to regularly offer Taraweeh prayers in congregation with the Muslims. It is also encouraged for him to offer supererogatory prayers in general, except at the times when doing so is makrooh.
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 21740.
Secondly:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not offer more than eleven rak‘ahs [in qiyaam al-layl], either during Ramadan or at other times, although occasionally he prayed thirteen rak‘ahs. Al-Bukhaari (3569) and Muslim (738) narrated from Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan that he asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): How did the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pray during Ramadan? She said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not pray more, in Ramadan or at any other time, than eleven rak‘ahs. He would pray four rak‘ahs, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were. Then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were. Then he would pray three. ‘Aa’ishah said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before you pray Witr? He said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.”
Al-Bukhaari narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray thirteen rak‘ahs at night, then he when he heard the call for Fajr prayer, he would pray two brief rak‘ahs.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
And it is narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in al-Bukhaari that he prayed seven or nine rak‘ahs. After that, al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray thirteen rak‘ahs at night, and two rak‘ahs after dawn, the Sunnah prayer of Fajr. According to the hadith of Zayd ibn Khaalid, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would pray two brief rak‘ahs and two long ones… and he narrated the hadith, at the end of which he said: And that was thirteen rak‘ahs.
Al-Qaadi said: The scholars said: In these hadiths, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Zayd and ‘Aa’ishah each spoke of what they saw. End quote.
Thirdly:
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not specify any maximum number (of rak‘ahs) for Taraweeh prayer, and the matter is broad in scope, in sha Allah. So there is nothing wrong with someone praying more than eleven rak‘ahs, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The night prayers are two by two, then if one of you fears that dawn may come, he should pray one rak‘ah, which will make what he has prayed odd-numbered.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (472) and Muslim (749).
This is also the view of the fuqaha’ of madhhabs in various regions. According to the Hanafi madhhab it is twenty rak‘ahs, as is also the view of Imam Ahmad. According to Imam Maalik, it is thirty-six rak‘ahs, and there is nothing wrong with a person doing any of these options, or others.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the difference of opinion among the scholars concerning that:
The correct view is that all of that is good, as was stated by Imam Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him), and there is no particular number with regard to qiyaam al-layl in Ramadan. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not specify any number for that. As that is the case, one may offer more or fewer rak‘ahs, according to how long or short one wants to make the standing. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to make his standing lengthy, as it is proven from him inas-Saheeh, in the hadith of Hudhayfah, that he used to recite in one rak‘ah al-Baqarah, an-Nisa’ and Aal ‘Imraan. Making the standing lengthy suffices instead of praying a greater number of rak‘ahs. When Ubayy ibn Ka‘b led them in praying qiyaam, when they were a single congregation, he would not make the standing lengthy for them, so he prayed a greater number of rak‘ahs, instead of making the standing lengthy, and they made the number of rak‘ahs double that of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for he used to pray eleven or thirteen rak‘ahs of qiyaam al-layl. Then after that the people in Madinah grew too weak to make the standing lengthy, so they increased the number of rak‘ahs until it reached thirty-nine.
End quote fromMajmoo‘ al-Fataawa(23/113; see also 23/120).
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
No specific number has been proven with regard to the number of rak‘ahs in Taraweeh prayer, and the scholars differed concerning that. Some of them think that it is twenty-three, some think it is thirty-six, some think that it is more and some think that it is less. At the time of ‘Umar the Sahaabah prayed it with twenty-three rak‘ahs in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), but the Prophet never prayed more than eleven or thirteen rak‘ahs, whether in Ramadan or otherwise, and he did not set any specific number for the people to pray in Taraweeh and qiyaam al-layl. Rather he used to urge the people to pray qiyaam al-layl and to pray qiyaam in Ramadan in particular. He would say: “Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven”, and he did not specify the number of rak‘ahs, which varies according to the nature of the standing. Whoever makes his prayer lengthy may reduce the number of rak‘ahs, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did, and whoever makes the prayer more brief, out of kindness towards the people, may make the number of rak‘ahs greater, as the Sahaabah did at the time of ‘Umar. There is nothing wrong with increasing the number of rak‘ahs in the last ten nights of Ramadan, making it greater than in the first twenty nights, and dividing them into two sections, one to be offered at the beginning of the night and made brief, like Taraweeh in the first twenty nights, and another section to be offered at the end of the night and made lengthy, to be regarded as tahajjud. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray tahajjud in the last ten nights as he never did at any other time.
End quote fromFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, vol. 2, 6/82
Conclusion:
There is no specific number of rak‘ahs for Taraweeh prayer, such that it is not allowed to do more or less than that. Whoever prays Taraweeh with thirty rak‘ahs, or more or less than that, there is no blame on him and he is not innovating by doing that.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
There is no specific number for Taraweeh prayer. Whoever prays twenty, there is nothing wrong with that; whoever prays thirty, there is nothing wrong with that; whoever prays forty, there is nothing wrong with that; whoever prays eleven, there is nothing wrong with that; whoever prays thirteen, there is nothing wrong with that; and whoever prays more or less than that, there is nothing wrong with that. The matter is broad in scope.
End quote fromFataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb(9/437)
And Allah knows best.
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