1. What is the
difference between Tahajjud and Tarawee?
2. Do we pray Tahajjud
(After Isha, before Fajr) at different times during Ramadan and non-Ramadan
(nights)?
3. The Prophet (pbuh) did not perform the Tahajjud prayer or the Tarawee prayer together. Why do we do it?
Hazrat Khalifatullah's considered response to these set of questions shine a clear light of guidance on a vital aspect of Islamic spiritual practice in the fasting month of Ramadan: the devotional practice of offering voluntary prayers known as the Tarawee Prayers after the Esha prayers- both in its original, historical context, but also in relation to the Tahajjud Prayers, explaining the practices against the wider backdrop of the Holy Prophet's own approach and those of the pious second caliph Hazrat Umar (ra), and what these additional prayers mean in the spiritual journey of the believers in their quest for Divine nearness, pleasure and approval.
Read the Text of the Response Below:
'Assalamoualaikum
Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuhu.
First of all, I should
like to attract your attention and that of all my disciples and the rest of the
Muslim World that Tahajjud prayers, though not an Obligatory (Farz) Prayer like
the five daily prayers is mentioned in the Holy Quran in relation to the
exceptional servants of Allah who strive to attain the pleasure of Allah by
offering extensive additional prayers in the last part of the night when
everybody else is sleeping so that they may acquire nearness to Allah and His
pleasure. For those people, Allah has promised to raise their station in His
Sight, be it in this world and the hereafter and pour down upon them such
praises which come from Him, His angels and all the devoted and faithful
creatures of Allah in the Seen (i.e. our present temporal world) and Unseen
Worlds.
In the Holy Quran, in
Chapter Bani Isra’il (Al-Isra), Allah says:
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ
بِهِۦ
نَافِلَةًۭ
لَّكَ
عَسَىٰٓ
أَن
يَبْعَثَكَ
رَبُّكَ
مَقَامًۭا
مَّحْمُودًۭا
Wa minal-layli
fatahajjad bihii naafilatal-lak
'And rise for prayer at
(the last) part (Tahajjad) of the night (Lail), offering additional prayers
(Nafil), so your Lord may raise you to a station of praise.' (17:
80)
Those additional
prayers are a boon for the sincere soul who wants to attain to exceptional
spiritual heights. That verse was so important to our beloved prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) that he made it a must to accomplish those additional prayers in the
last part of the Night, before Fajr time (before Sunrise), when usually sleep
of man is deep and it is difficult to him to wake up for both those additional
prayers and the Obligatory prayers (i.e. Fajr Prayer).
That last part of the
night usually ranges from after midnight to about ten minutes before actual
Fajr time. The believers who are awake at that time can pray their Tahajjud
prayers, for those are the Night prayers, such additional prayers which can
only increase them in spiritual wealth. Whether one is asleep or awake and
makes the intention for performing the exceptional Quranic and Sunnah Voluntary
Prayers, such ones are greatly respected in the eyes of Allah and loved by Him,
on the condition that they accomplish all their Farz (Obligatory) prayers and
obligations without fail.
Don’t forget that
Hadith-e-Qudsi, where Allah speaks through the narration of His own Prophet
(pbuh). Abu Sa’id and Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) as saying: 'Allah waits till when one-third of the first part of the night is over; He
descends to the lowest heaven and says: It there any supplicator of
forgiveness? Is there any penitent? Is there any petitioner (for mercy and
favour)? Is there any solicitor? - till it is daybreak.' (Muslim)
So, here we have a
better idea, that whether a believer is still awake or has awaken from sleep in
this range of time to pray additional prayers (Salat) and seek the forgiveness
of Allah therein, then Allah definitely turns to this person with mercy and
pours down upon him and surrounds him with His favours.
So, this is what we
call Tahajjud Prayers.
As for Tarawee prayers,
let it be clear that it was not a Sunnah of Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Tarawee prayers are usually such additional prayers done during Ramadan alone
to maximize the blessings of Allah upon the congregation of the believers, and
like I explained in my Friday Sermon of 22 March 2024:
It must be borne in
mind that despite the fact that praying the Salat-ul-Tarawee in congregation
(Jamaat) was not the formal Sunnah of our beloved prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(saws), but it is not an evil practice at all. It is such a good practice that
the second Caliph of Islam (Hazrat Umar (ra)) suggested to do it, so that
Muslims acquire the blessings of Prayer in congregation in the Masjid when they
come to perform Voluntary Prayers therein, and where then, to avoid to have
several groups leading prayers in the same Masjid, or to assemble the people
who are praying individually, then, he got the idea to bring them all together
and put an Imam who knew the Quran well and lead them in the Salat-ul-Tarawee
and where one (all Muslims) benefit from these Salat (Prayers) with the
blessings which prayer in congregation receives.
Therefore, the fact
that it is not a prophetic Sunnah, Salat-ul-Taraweeh is practiced only during
Ramadan where Mussallis (worshippers) come to perform voluntary Salat (prayer)
for the pleasure of Allah. (Extract of Friday Sermon 22 March 2024)
So, to answer your
questions:
1. The main difference
between Tahajjud prayers and Tarawee prayers is that Tahajjud prayers are daily
non-obligatory but highly desirable 8 to 10 Rakat prayers, prayed two by two
cycles (and sometimes culminating or ending with Witr prayer [if the Muslim
worshipper has not prayed his Witr after Esha Prayer], thus rendering the whole
prayer as 11 to 13 Rakat prayers). Tarawee prayers are held only in Ramadan and
that too in Congregation to maximise the blessings Allah has poured into
Ramadan.
Tahajjud prayers is
Quranic, Sunnah, Ramadan and Non-Ramadan Voluntary Night prayers which Allah
holds in high regard and expect His close servants to observe despite that it
is not obligatory on them. As for Tarawee, it is a non-Sunnah practice but
encouraged in the Caliphate of the second Caliph of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) to avoid multiple groups praying congregation in the mosque, and with
the target to unite the worshippers in a Mosque under one Imam.
2. Concerning your
second question, Tahajjud prayers like I explained in my introduction on the
subject is prayed in the last part of the night ranging from after midnight to
around 10 minutes before the actual time of Fajr. Be aware that some mosques
read the Azan for Fajr prayers early to give time to all believers to come to
the Mosque for prayer. So, here actual time for Fajr should be noted and taken
into consideration so that Tahajjud is prayed before that time. Tahajjud is
prayer after Esha prayers, but after midnight whether during Ramadan, and
beyond.
3. And to answer your
last question, it must be borne in mind that Ramadan is all about maximising
divine blessings and to accede closer to Allah. Tarawee is what we call a good
innovation, highly being conscious that it was not Sunnah. So, it is not
obligatory for the Muslim believers to participate in it, but it is highly
desirable for them to do it, for the enrichment of their own soul.
‘Abdur Rahman bin
‘Abdul Qari (ra) said, “I went out in the company of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab one
night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different
groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him.
So, ‘Umar said, ‘In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the
leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)’. So, he
made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka’b. Then on another night
I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter.
On that, ‘Umar remarked, ‘What an excellent Bid’a (i.e. innovation in religion)
this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is
better than the one they are offering.’ He meant the prayer in the last part of
the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night.”
(Bukhari)
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh)
did not encourage the Muslims to follow him in Tahajjud prayers because he
feared Allah would decree those prayers as Obligatory prayers and he knew that
his Ummah would not be able to perform it were it to become obligatory on them.
Zaid bin Thabit (ra)
said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) built a chamber in the mosque. He used to
come out at night and pray there. They (the people) also prayed along with him.
They would come (to prayer) every night. If on any night the Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) did not come out, they would cough, raise their voices and throw pebbles
and sand on his door. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came out to them in anger
and said: “O People, you kept on doing this till I thought that it will be
prescribed for you. Offer your prayers in your houses, for a man’s prayer is better
in his house except obligatory prayer.” (Abu Dawud)
Narrated Abu Huraira
(ra): The Messenger of Allah said: “The most excellent prayer after that which
is obligatory is the (voluntary) late night prayer [Salatul Lail].” (Muslim)
It should be borne in
mind that both Tahajjud and Tarawee are Salatul Lail [Night Prayers], prayed
during the night. Tarawee is prayed right after Esha prayers whereas Tahajjud
is prayed after midnight, when most of the people of a country are sleeping. Here,
I cannot say when the whole world is sleeping, because time zones are different
for each and every country round the world. So, both are prayed at night, but
Tahajjud has been specifically specified as thus [Salatul Lail] in the Holy
Quran. Both bring the blessings of Allah upon a believer, and the Ummah. One is
daily, and the other reserved exclusively for Ramadan. Indeed, Allah never
burdens a soul more than he or she can bear.
As long as a believer
is hale and healthy, it is my personal opinion that he should maximise the
blessings of Ramadan by performing both the Tahajjud and Tarawee prayers [in
Ramadan], but after Ramadan days, he should not miss the opportunity of
Tahajjud prayers and its blessings if he desires a higher status and closeness
to Allah. It is entirely voluntary, never obligatory! And what excellent
Voluntary prayers are the Tahajjud prayers which keeps on bringing the sincere,
devoted servant of Allah closer to Allah and ridding him from his sins and
purifying him for a better tomorrow!
I hope and pray that
this answer is clear to you and all my disciples, and the rest of the Muslim
Ummah who are seeking an answer to those questions as well. May Allah fill your
hearts with His Nur (Light) and give you His blessed favours of sincerity and
faith and staying true to Him and to stay united for His sake, for the ultimate
victory of His Deen [Islam] in the world. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
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