2a] Sunnahs of Taraweeh Prayer

2a]
"Should I not be a thankful servant?" [9]
It is not being said that theTaraaweeh prayer offered in congregation
must be as long as this, but on mere reflection does it not leave much
to be questioned and sought when we compare our sadstate of affairs
today? What has befallen Muslimsthese days? In their Salaahand Qiyaam
is fast recitation of the verses of the Qur'aan and hurried movements
which hardly resemble the Ruku, Sujoodand other positions in Salaah -
what benefits can we possibly hope to secureby neglecting the Sunnah?
Best Time for Taraweeh:
The majority of mosques hold taraweeh prayer aftersalaat al-Ishaa, and
by doing so they are able to accommodate the varying needs and
conditions of those who attend, (i.e. amongst them there may be the
weak, sick, old etc.) attract more people due tothe convenient earlier
timing which in turn encourages families to bring along their younger
children and those being only a few of the benefits. Therefore it is
good thing and we know lslaam does not impose any hardships. However
if you are praying taraaweeh at home, then it is worth knowing that it
is best to delay the taraaweeh prayer to the last third portion of the
night. Allah's Messenger salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam said: "The
nearest that a slave comes to his Lord is during the middle of the
later portion of the night. If you can be among thosewho remember
Allaah, theExalted One, at that time then do so." [10]
Also, once when 'Umar ibn al-Kattaab went out during Ramadaan and
sawthe people praying taraaweeh, he commented, "prayer at thetime when
they sleep is better than at the time when they are praying it." Since
the people used to pray in the early part of the night. [11]
Know also dear reader; that it is the time when Allaah descends to the
lowest Heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring (though He
knows everything).
"[Is there anyone] who invokes Me, so that I may respond to his
invitation? [ls there anyone] who asksMe, so that I may grant him his
request? [Is there anyone] who seeks My forgiveness, so that I may
forgive him?" [12]
Laylatul-Qadr:
We are encouraged to exert our efforts even further; towards the end
of Ramadaan while seeking out Laylatul-Qadr. 'Aa'isha reported that
Allah's Messenger salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam used to exert himself
in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any
other time. [13]
Allah's Messenger salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam said: "Whoever stands
[in prayer] in Lailatut Qadr outof Eemaan and seeking reward, then his
previous sins are forgiven." [Bukhariand Muslim]
Moderation:
As with all aspects in lslaam, moderation and consistency are the
cardinal words - avoiding the two extremes i.e. negligence and
excessiveness, and this is the correct position. He salla allahu
alaihe wa-sallam said: "The deedsof anyone of you will not save you
(from the hell fire)." They said, 'Even you (will not be saved by your
deeds) O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "No, even I (will not be
saved) unlessand until Allaah bestows His Mercy on me. Therefore, do
good deeds properly. Sincerely and moderately, and worship Allaah in
the forenoon andduring a part of the night and always adopt a
middlemoderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target
(i.e. paradise)." [14]
Allah has ordained the compulsory prayer, after which the most
excellent prayer is the night prayer [15] and that which I have
mentioned regarding its characteristics is applicablein every prayer-
whether compulsory or voluntary (i.e. such as Taraaweeh). It is not
possible for us to perform prayer as it should be performed, or even
approach it, unless we know the detailed description of the Prophet's
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) prayer. [16] I hope that the
significance of the Taraaweeh prayer has been correctly established
and I pray thatit's a benefit to all those rushing to fulfill his
command. "Pray as you have seen me praying." [l7]
FOOTNOTES:
1. Saheeh AL- Bukhari (eng. Tran. Vol.2, p. 126,no.227)
2. Fiqh us-Sunnah (v.2, p.28). It is preferred for women to pray at home.
3. Saheeh - Related by al-Bukhari from Urwah (eng, trans. Vol.3,
p.127, no.229) and Muslim from Aaisha' (eng. Trans.
Vol.1, p.367, no.1667). Note that this Hadeeth is a proof that
performing the Taraweeh prayer in congregation was a
Sunnah of the Prophet which Umar later revived and it was not a new
practice which he inventedas many claim.
4. Related by Ibn al-Mubaarak in Az-Zuhar [162/2 from al Kawaakib 575]
Aboo Dawood and Ahmed with a saheeh isnad.
5. Related by Muslim and Malik.
6. Saheeh related by al-Bukhari (eng. Trans. v.2, no.236) and Muslim.
7. Saheeh related by Muslim (eng. Trans. V.1, no. 1697) and Nasaa'ee.
8. Related by al-Bukhari (eng. Trans. vol. 1, Pg. 424 no.766)

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2] Sunnahs of Taraweeh Prayer

2]
Ramadaan is an event in which the whole Muslim Ummah participates and
during this month many ofus observe Qiyaam al-Layl , also known as
Taraaweeh (literally, the break between individual prayers), which is
a Sunnahfor both men and women. It is performed after the Isha prayer
up until the end of the night i.e. before the Fajr prayer and prayed
in sets of two rak'aat each.
Taraaweeh has an important place in Ramadaan. To find out why read on:
Its Excellence and Merit from the Qur'aan:
During Ramadaan, we are not only pre-occupied withour daily activities
but are also subjected to hunger and thirst, and so naturallyat the
end of the day we become tired and cherish the prospect of a good
nights rest! However, in the Qur'aan Allah commends those who observe
the night prayer and He exhorts the believers towards it, "Verilythe
rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and
good for governing (the soul) and most suitable for(understanding) the
Word (of Allaah)" [Soorah al-Muzzammil (73):6]
From the Sunnah
"And whoever stands (in prayer) in Ramadan out of sincere faith and
hoping for a reward (from Allah) then all his previous sins will be
forgiven." [1]
In this Hadeeth the Prophet salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam wanted us to
earn this great reward, encouraging us towards taraaweeh. His
statement, "out of sincere faith hoping for a reward.." suggests that
in order to get reward one must purify his niyyah (intention) to
perform this act of worship.
Praying Taraaweeh in Congregation
"It is allowed to pray taraaweeh of the month ofRamadan in a
congregation just as it is allowed to pray them on an individual
basis. The majority of scholars, however prefer to pray them in
congregation." [2]
Aa'ishah reported that: "Allah's Messenger salla allahu alaihe
wa-sallam went out in the middle of the night and prayed in the
mosque, and the people prayed behind him,then in the morning people
spoke about it. Then a large number gathered (the second night), and
he prayed and they prayed behind him, then the people spoke about it
in the morning. On the third night the mosque was crowded, so Allah's
Messenger salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam came out and could not
accommodate the number of people, but he only came out for the
morning. Then when he finished themorning prayer he turned to the
people repeated theShahaadah and said: 'Indeed your presence wasnot
hidden from me, but I feared that it would be made obligatory upon
youand that you would not beable to mange it.' [3] So Allaah's
Messenger salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam passed away and the situation
remained like that."
When Prophet salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam was taken by Allaah, the
Sharee'ah had been completed and this fear had ceased (i.e. that
Taraaweeh would be made obligatory) and so it remained prescribed in
congregation - since the reason preventing it had ceased.
Tarteel - recitation in slow, rhythmic tones
It was the practice of the Prophet salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam to
recite one verse at a time, pausing after every verse. He used to
recite the Qur'aan in slow, measured, rhythmic tones as Allaah had
instructed him, not raising or hurrying, rather; his was"a recitation
clearly distinguishing each letter,"[4] so much so that he would
recite a soorah in such slow rhythmic tones that it would be longer
than it would seem possible." [5]
The Length and Beauty of the Prayer
There are a number of Ahadeeth which mention how the Prophet would
sometimes exceedingly lengthen his recitation in asingle rak'ah, so it
is not surprising when 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood said: "I prayedwith the
Prophet salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam one night and he carried on
standing for so long that I was struck by a wrong idea." He was asked,
"What was this idea?" He said, "I thought Iwould sit down and leave
the Prophet salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam" [6]
And in another narration we learn that the Messenger salla allahu
alaihe wa-sallam recited Soorat al-Baqarah (286 verses), an-Nisaa'
(176 verses) and Aal-lmraan (200 verses) all in one standing. [7] Just
imagine that! How long does it take to recite just half of Soorat
al-Baqarah: then allof it, then Soorat an-Nisaa' etc!! And remember
the Prophet salla allahu alaihe wa-sallam recited in a 'slow, rhythmic
style' and then he would go into Rukoo' and Sujood. He salla allahu
alaihe wa-sallam used to make his Qiyaam (standing), his Ruku, his
standing after rukoo', his sujood, and his sitting between the two
sajdahs, nearly equal in length. [8] When 'Aa'isha asked why he salla
allahu alaihe wa-sallam offered such an unbearable prayer;which caused
his feet to swell due to the prolongedstanding, he humbly replied:
"Should I not be a thankful servant?"...

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1a] Fasting According to the Quran

1a]
In addition the practice of the Companions was not uniform. It would
seem that any journey which is commonly regarded as such, and which is
attended by the circumstances generally associated with traveling,
should be deemed sufficient justification for not fasting.
Jurists agree that one does not have to fast on the day of commencing
ajourney; one may eat either at the point of departure or after the
actual journey has commenced. Either course is sanctioned by the
practice of the Companions. Jurists, however, are not agreed as to
whether or not the residents of a city under attack may abstain from
fasting even though theyare not actually traveling. Ibn Taymiyah
favors the permissibility of abstention from fasting and supports his
view with very forceful arguments.
5. This indicates that fasting need not be confined, exclusively, to
Ramadan. For those whofail to fast during that month owing to some
legitimate reason God has kept the door of compensation open during
other months of the year so that they need not be deprived of the
opportunity to express their gratitude to Him for His great bounty in
revealing the Qur'an.
It should be noted here that fasting in Ramadan has not only been
declared an act of worship and devotion and a means to nourish piety
but has also been characterized as an act ofgratefulness to God for
His great bounty of true guidance in the form of the Qur'an. In fact,
the best way of expressing gratitude for someone's bounty or
benevolence isto prepare oneself, to thebest of one's ability, to
achieve the purpose for which that bounty has been bestowed. The
Qur'an has been revealedso that we may know the way that leads to
God's good pleasure, follow that way ourselves and direct the world
along it. Fasting is an excellent means by which to prepare ourselves
for shoulderingthis task. Hence fasting during the month of the
revelation of the Qur'an is more than an act of worship and more than
an excellent course of moral training; it is also an appropriate form
for the expression of our thankfulness to God for the bounty of the
Qur'an.
Excerpted from "Towards Understanding the Qur'an".Translated and
edited by Zafar Ishaq Ansari. English version of Tafhim al-Qur'anby
Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi.

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1] Fasting According to the Quran

1]
Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you, as it was enjoined upon those
before you, that you become God fearing. Quran 2:183
Fasting is for a fixed number of days, and if one of you be sick, or
if one of you be on a journey, you will fast the same number of other
days later on. For those who are capable of fasting (but still do not
fast) there is a redemption: feeding a needy man for each day missed.
Whoever, voluntarily, does more good than is required, will find it is
better for him; and that you shouldfast is better for you, if you only
know. Quran 2:184
During the month of Ramadan the Qur'an wassent down as a guidanceto
the people with clear signs of the true guidance, and as the Criterion
(between right and wrong). So those of you who live to see that month
should fast it, andwhoever is sick or on a journey should fast the
same number of other days instead. Allah wants ease and not hardship
for you so that you may complete the number of days required,magnify
Allah for what He has guided you to, and give thanks to Him. Quran
2:185
1. Like most other injunctions of Islam those relating to fasting were
revealed gradually. In the beginning the Prophet had instructed the
Muslims tofast three days in every month, though this was not
obligatory. When theinjunction in the present verse was later revealed
in 2 A.H., a degree of relaxation was introduced: it was stipulated
that those who did not fast despite their capacity to endure it were
obliged to feed one poor person as an expiation for each day
ofobligatory fasting missed(see verse 184). Another injunction was
revealed later (see verse 185) and here the relaxation in respect of
able-bodied persons was revoked. However, for the sick, thetraveler,
the pregnant, the breast-feeding women and the aged who could not
endure fasting, the relaxation was retained.
(See Bukhari, `Tafsir al-Qur'an', 25; Tirmidhi, 'Sawm', 21; Nasa'i,
`Siyam', 51, 62, 64; Ibn Majah, `Siyam', 12; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad,
vol. 3, p. 104; vol. 4, pp. 347 and 418; vol. 5, p. 29 - Ed.)
2. This act of extra merit could either be feeding more than the one
person required or both fasting and feeding the poor.
3. Here ends the early injunction with regard tofasting which was
revealed in 2 A.H. prior tothe Battle of Badr. The verses that follow
were revealed about one year later and are linked with the preceding
verses since they deal with the same subject.
4. Whether a person shouldor should not fast while on a journey is
left to individual discretion. We find that among the Companions who
accompanied the Prophet on journeys some fasted whereas others did
not; none objected to the conduct of another. The Prophet himself did
not always fast when traveling. On one journey a person was so
overwhelmed by hunger that he collapsed; the Prophet disapproved when
he learned that the man had been fasting. During wars the Prophet used
toprevent people from fasting so that they would not lack energy for
the fight. It has been reported by 'Umar that two military expeditions
took place in the month of Ramadan. The first was the Battle of Badr
and the second the conquest of Makka. On both occasions the Companions
abstained from fasting, and, according to Ibn 'Umar, on the occasion
of the conquest of Makka the Prophet proclaimed that people should not
fast since it was a day of fighting. In other Traditions the Prophet
is reported to have said that people should not fast when they had
drawn close. to the enemy, since abstention from fasting would lead to
greater strength.
(See Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 329, and vol. 5, pp. 205 and
209; Darimi, `Sawm', 41; Muslim, `Siyam', 92; Nasa'i, `Siyam', 47;
Bukhari, `Maghazi', 71; Muslim, `Siyam', 102; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad,
vol. 3, pp. 21, 35, .46; Tirmidhi, 'Sawm',18; Nasa'i, `Siyam', 52;
Bukhari, `Jihad', 29; Muslim, `Siyam', 98; Abu Da'ud, 'Sawm', 42;
Muslim, `Siyam', 102, 103, 105; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 2, 99;
Tirmidhi, 'Sawm', 19 -Ed.)
The duration of a journey for which it becomes permissible for a
person to abstain from fasting is not absolutely clear from any
statementof the Prophet.
(cf. relevant Traditions Abu Da'ud, 'Sawm', 46, 47; Nasa'i, `Siyam',
54, 55; Malik, Muwatta', `Siyam', 21, 27 - Ed.)....

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