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Statement from the Iftaa` Department regarding Tarawih Prayer
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 09-07-2023

 

Statement from the Iftaa` Department regarding Tarawih Prayer

 

 Tarawih Prayer is Twenty Rakhas

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

There are many questions regarding the number of Rakhas in Tarawih prayer.

 

Tarawih prayer is a Sunnah, and the four Sunni schools of thought are agreed that it is twenty Rakhas. In fact, the Malikis believe that it is thirty-six Rakhas. Based on this, whoever prays eight Rakhas has fulfilled some of this Sunnah, and will be rewarded accordingly. It is well-known that Tarawih prayer is the night prayer in Ramadan {Qiyam}. Abu Hurairah narrated that The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Whoever prays during the night in Ramadan out of sincere faith and seeking its reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven." The Imams of the Sunni schools of thought have conveyed how it is performed starting from the righteous predecessors to the era of the noble companions {May Allah be pleased with them}. In Sunan al-Bayhaqi, from al-Sa'ib ibn Yazid, may Allah be pleased with him, he said: "During the era of Umar ibn al-Khattab, they used to offer twenty Rakhas during Ramadan as Qiyam. He said: They used to recite [the Quran] in groups of two hundred."

 

This is the practice in the Two Holy Mosques and the ancient Islamic cities. Whoever is able to perform it (Twenty Rakhas) completely has performed the complete Sunnah, and whoever is not able to perform it has performed some of it, and will be rewarded for what he has prayed, but he does not have the right to prevent or prohibit others from completing it. This is because prohibition is only for doing evil while prayer is the best of the deeds of the believers. The Prophet (PBUH) said: (Prayer is the best deed, so whoever can do more, let him do more. Narrated by al-Tabarani, and Allah the Almighty said: (Seest thou one who forbids- A votary when he (turns) to pray?)  {Al-Alaq, 9-10}.

 

May Allah guide us all to His obedience and help us to do so. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

 

Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

 

General Iftaa` Department

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling on making up missed fasts from many years?

A Muslim must make up for any missed fasts, as they are a debt owed to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"The debt owed to Allah is more deserving of being fulfilled." [Narrated by Muslim]
Whoever has missed fasts must make them up as long as they are alive and capable of fasting.

What is the ruling on someone who combines two prayers as an early combination (jam‘ taqdīm), and then arrives at his place of residence during the time of the second prayer — is he obligated to repeat it?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Whoever combines Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr while traveling — that is, before he has reached the built-up boundaries of his hometown [upon returning] — his combination (jam‘) of the two prayers remains valid, even if he arrives at his place of residence before the time for the second prayer has actually begun. This is because the combination was already validly completed with its proper conditions fulfilled, and he is not obligated to repeat the second prayer [upon arrival].
A traveler is permitted to make use of the concessions of shortening (qaṣr) and combining (jam‘) prayers once the distance of travel reaches (81 km) or more, provided that his journey is a permissible one, and that he begins shortening and combining only after actually setting out on the journey and passing beyond the built-up limits of the city in which he resides. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Is a person who forgot to make up missed fasts until the next Ramadan began required to pay expiatory compensation (Fidyah) alongside the makeup fast (Qada')?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Whoever forgets to make up missed fasts of Ramadan (Qada') until the following Ramadan begins incurs no sin, pursuant to the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, Allah has pardoned for my nation their mistakes, their forgetfulness, and that which they are coerced into doing." [Narrated by Ibn Majah, and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra]
 
Furthermore, such an individual is not obligated to pay a expiatory compensation (Fidyah). It is stated in Bushra Al-Karim (p. 580)—one of the authoritative Shafi'i jurisprudential texts: "As for delaying it [the makeup fasts] due to a valid excuse—such as travel, breastfeeding, forgetfulness, or ignorance of the prohibition of delay (even for one living among scholars)—no Fidyah is required. This is because delaying performance during the actual month is permissible due to these excuses; hence, delaying makeup fasts is even more permissible, even if it continues for years."
And Allah Almighty knows best.

A person prays in a certain spot within the rows of the mosque, and gets angry if someone else prayed at his spot. What is the ruling on this behavior?

All Perfect Praise be to Allah The Lord of The Worlds and may His Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) make it prohibited for a Muslim from having/taking a certain spot in the mosque when performing prayers if they arrived and find it occupied, furthermore; it is the religious duty on others (praying people) to offer a piece of advice to alert the ones who don't know, that whoever reaches a spot first at the mosque having a priority/privilege upon others in that spot. And Allah Knows Best.