What does Salat Al-Tarawih mean?
Salat Al-Tarawih is a congregational salah (ritual prayer) that Muslims perform in Ramadan. The Arabic word ‘tarâwih’ comes from the trilateral root ra • waw • ha, represented here in English as r • w • h. The word rahah, ‘rest’ in English, is derived from this root. Tarihah is a single specified “rest,” like a nap, as opposed to “rest,” in general. ‘Tarâwih’ is plural for ‘tarwihah.’ So Salat Al-Tarawih literally means “The “Prayer (Salah) of Rests.”
How did Salat Al-Tarawih get its name?
Its name comes from the practice of the Companions of the Prophet, on him be peace. They took intermissions of “rest” after every four rak‘as, or “cycles” of the ritual salah-prayer, which they performed in sequences of “two by two,” as specified by the Prophet, on him be peace, to an inquiring Bedouin about nafl (supererogatory) salah in the night (Bukhari and Muslim). We learn from this, as well, that it is healthy when engaged in work or worship to take small breaks now and again.
What is the fiqh (legal) ruling on Salat Al-Tarawih?
Salat Al-Tarawih is defined in Islamic law not as an obligation (fard or wajib) but as a sunnah mu’akkadah, an “emphatically recommended practice of the Prophet,” on him be peace, for both men and women.
It is recommended that Salat Al-Tarawih be performed in congregation, jama‘ah, in the masjid (mosque). If one cannot make it to the mosque, then one performs it in congregation with the members of the household.
It is also recommended for the imam (prayer leader) to stop for a short break after every four rak‘as, like the Companions did. During this rest, it is best for those following to sit in quiet contemplation or utter remembrances of God.
It is also commonplace for the imam to give a short talk during this rest that conveys a moral lesson based on contemplation on the Quran’s verses or the Prophet’s teaching and experience, on him be peace.
It is preferable for the imam to complete the recitation of the entire Quran at least once in the Salat Al-Tarawih throughout the month of Ramadan, as the idea is for the community to review the entire Quran together in the month of its original revelation. But this is not required.
How did Salat Al-Tarawih become a worship practice in Islam?
The Prophet, on him be peace, established the performance of Salat Al-Tarawih by his actions. ‘Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, on him be peace, and the Mother of the Believers, God be pleased with her, reported that the Prophet, on him be peace, entered the masjid in Madinah in the depth of the night (during Ramadan) and led some Companions in salah.
The following morning, the Companions discussed what the Prophet, on him be peace, did and that night more Companions than the previous night made salah with the Prophet, on him be peace.
The third night, the number of people attending increased.
The fourth night, the Prophet, on him be peace, did not come to the masjid until the morning salah. When he completed the morning salah, he faced the people and testified to the Oneness of God (a prophetic introduction to a speech) and said:
As to what follows: I was not unaware of your awaiting my arrival [at the mosque the previous night], but I feared that it [Salat Al-Tarawih] would become obligatory for you and that you would be unable [to fulfill this obligation]” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
After the Prophet, on him be peace, passed to his Lord, the fear of Salat Al-Tarawih becoming an obligation was removed. So there was no harm in officially establishing it as a congregational prayer in the mosque during Ramadan.
So ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab commanded the Companions to perform Salat Al-Tarawih in congregation in Ramadan and all consented. This action of ‘Umar was based on what the Prophet, on him be peace, did and so was a blessed introduction into the practice of Muslims.
The legality of Salat Al-Tarawih is further established by the consensus of the Companions.
How does Salat Al-Tarawih differ from the Prayer of the Nighttime Standing, Qiyam Al-Layl?
Salat Al-Tarawih is a form of Qiyam Al-Layl, performing extra salah-prayers at night. In Islamic Law, Salat Al-Tarawih and Qiyam Al-Layl are synonymous. The differences between them are strictly semantic due to the fact that Salat Al-Tarawih became known as the Qiyam Al-Layl specifically performed in congregation in Ramadan, usually shortly after the ‘Isha Salah, the Nightfall Prayer.
How is Salat Al-Tarawih performed?
Since Salat Al-Tarawih is simply an “extra” or “supererogatory” salah (nafl), there is no disagreement among the scholars that it can be any number of rak‘as, cycles or units of ritual prayer.
Despite the agreement of our scholars, the number of rak‘as made in Salat Al-Tarawih has sometimes become a point of contention among Muslims, especially in the diverse Muslim community in America.
There are two reasons for this:
Lack of knowledge about this issue.
The hadith narrated by ‘Aisha (God be pleased with her) that the Messenger of God, on him be peace, never exceeded eleven rak‘as of nafl salah at night, whether in Ramadan or any other month. (Bukhari and Muslim)
As for the first cause, unawareness, we can remedy it by educating people on the rulings pertaining to Salat Al-Tarawih.
Misunderstanding of the hadith, however, has led some to believe eleven rak‘as is a limit, anything more being a bid‘ah (heretical innovation) and, therefore, invalid, which is unfounded.
The are at least six proofs that Tarawih can be any number of rak‘as:
The Companions performed Salat at-Tarawih in 21 rak‘as (sahih (authentic) Al-Muwatta, Imam Malik), as well as 23 rak‘as (sahih, no. 3270, Al-Bayhaqi, As-Sunan Al-Kubra), and there was consensus among them that this was permissible.
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz (widely known as the “Fifth Rightly Guided Caliph”) used to perform Salat at-Tarawih in 39 rak‘as.
In the hadith previously cited, the Prophet, on him be peace, only said to the Bedouin who asked him how to perform the salah of the night “two by two,” setting no limit (Bukhari and Muslim).
The vast majority of the Ummah – including the imams of the four major legal schools – concur that there is no restriction as to the number of supererogatory salah (nafl), in the permitted times, and tarawih is a nafl salah. The most any such scholars have articulated is a preferred number.
The hadith of ‘Aisha states that the Prophet, on him be peace, never “exceeded” 11 rak‘as in nafl (supererogatory) “salah at night.” This undoubtedly includes what we would call Salat Al-Tarawih, or Qiyam Al-Layl. Thus, if one says it is forbidden to perform more than eleven rak‘as, then anyone who had performed Salat Al-Tarawih could not pray anything at home on one’s own – even during Laylat Al-Qadr, the Night of Empowering Decree (see What Is Laylat Al-Qadr?), or at any other auspicious time – and the invalidity of this opinion is obvious. For while there is a text specifying the number of rak‘as the Prophet, on him be peace, performed, there is none setting a maximum limit on it.
It is improper to place rigid boundaries where God has given latitude to people. For some, it is easier to perform many short rak‘as. Others prefer a lesser number of longer rak‘as.
What are the virtues of Salat Al-Tarawih?
The Prophet, on him be peace, said:
The best salah after the obligatory salah is that of the night” (Muslim.)
He also said:
One who stands [for the Nighttime Prayer, Qiyam Al-Layl] in Ramadan, forgiven for him are all the sins he has sent forth. (Bukhari and Muslim)
And:
One who fasts Ramadan, with faith and seeking reward, forgiven for him are all the sins he has sent forth. And one who stands in prayer Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Empowering Decree), forgiven for him are all the sins he has sent forth. (Bukhari and Muslim)
We take these blessed sayings as a strong reminder and an incentive to take full advantage of this blessed month of fasting, standing in nighttime prayer, and Quran, and being consistent in our Salat Al-Tarawih.
Is there a greater virtue than the chance to emerge from this month with a sound heart and sinless?