Compiled by: Ubaidullah Tahir (حفظ اللہ)
From Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan with faith and seeking Allah's reward, all of his previous sins will be forgiven."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 37, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 759]
❀ Hadith:
Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encouraged standing in prayer during Ramadan without making it obligatory, saying: 'Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan with faith and seeking Allah's reward, all his past sins will be forgiven.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 759]
Aisha (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out in the middle of the night during Ramadan and prayed in the mosque. Some men prayed behind him. In the morning, people began to talk about it. The next night, more people gathered, and he prayed, and they prayed behind him. On the third night, even more people gathered, and he prayed, and they prayed behind him. On the fourth night, the mosque could not accommodate the crowd, but he did not come out. In the morning, he (ﷺ) addressed the people, saying: 'I was aware of your presence, but I was afraid that it would be made obligatory upon you, and you would not be able to fulfill it.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 2012, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 761]
Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه) said:
"We observed Ramadan with the Prophet (ﷺ), and he did not lead us in prayer on any night until seven nights remained. On that night, he led us in prayer until one-third of the night had passed. On the fifth night remaining, he led us until half the night, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, would that you lead us longer?' He replied: 'When a person prays with the Imam until he finishes, it is recorded for him as if he prayed the whole night.'"
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd 1375, Sunan Tirmidhī 802]
Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Qari narrated:
"I went out with Umar bin Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) one night during Ramadan to the mosque and saw people praying in scattered groups. Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: 'I think it would be better if they were gathered under one reciter.' So he gathered them behind Ubayy bin Ka'b (رضي الله عنه). On another night, we went out again, and the people were praying together. Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: 'What a good innovation this is, but the prayer that they miss while sleeping (i.e., at the end of the night) is better than the one they are performing now.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 2010]
Note:
Umar (رضي الله عنه) referred to it as a "good innovation" in the linguistic sense, as it was a new practice to organize the Tarawih prayer in congregation after Isha. However, since it was based on an existing practice of the Prophet (ﷺ), it cannot be considered a religious innovation (Bid'ah) in the negative sense.
Abu Salama bin Abdur Rahman reported that he asked Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
"How was the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during Ramadan?" She replied: 'He did not exceed eleven Rak‘ahs in Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four Rak‘ahs, do not ask about their beauty and length, then another four Rak‘ahs, do not ask about their beauty and length, and then he would pray three Rak‘ahs.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 2013, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 738]
❀ Practice During Umar's Caliphate:
Saib bin Yazid (رضي الله عنه) said:
"Umar (رضي الله عنه) instructed Ubayy bin Ka'b (رضي الله عنه) and Tamim Dari (رضي الله عنه) to lead the people in prayer with eleven Rak‘ahs. The reciter would recite long chapters, so long that we used to rely on our staffs due to the prolonged standing, and we would finish close to dawn."
[Muwaṭṭa’ Imām Mālik, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh]
Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever prays with the Imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he prayed the whole night."
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd 1375, Sunan Tirmidhī 806, Sunan Nasā’ī 1364]
Note:
This Hadith highlights the virtue of praying the entire Tarawih with the Imam, as it is equivalent to standing in prayer for the whole night. Therefore, one should strive to complete the prayer with the Imam and not leave early, as this ensures a great reward during the blessed month of Ramadan.
① The Virtue of Standing in Prayer During Ramadan
❀ Hadith:From Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan with faith and seeking Allah's reward, all of his previous sins will be forgiven."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 37, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 759]
❀ Hadith:
Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encouraged standing in prayer during Ramadan without making it obligatory, saying: 'Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan with faith and seeking Allah's reward, all his past sins will be forgiven.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 759]
② Congregational Tarawih Prayer Led by the Prophet (ﷺ)
❀ Hadith:Aisha (رضي الله عنها) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out in the middle of the night during Ramadan and prayed in the mosque. Some men prayed behind him. In the morning, people began to talk about it. The next night, more people gathered, and he prayed, and they prayed behind him. On the third night, even more people gathered, and he prayed, and they prayed behind him. On the fourth night, the mosque could not accommodate the crowd, but he did not come out. In the morning, he (ﷺ) addressed the people, saying: 'I was aware of your presence, but I was afraid that it would be made obligatory upon you, and you would not be able to fulfill it.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 2012, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 761]
③ Standing in Prayer During the Last Ten Nights
❀ Hadith:Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه) said:
"We observed Ramadan with the Prophet (ﷺ), and he did not lead us in prayer on any night until seven nights remained. On that night, he led us in prayer until one-third of the night had passed. On the fifth night remaining, he led us until half the night, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, would that you lead us longer?' He replied: 'When a person prays with the Imam until he finishes, it is recorded for him as if he prayed the whole night.'"
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd 1375, Sunan Tirmidhī 802]
④ The Practice of Tarawih During the Caliphate of Umar (رضي الله عنه)
❀ Hadith:Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Qari narrated:
"I went out with Umar bin Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) one night during Ramadan to the mosque and saw people praying in scattered groups. Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: 'I think it would be better if they were gathered under one reciter.' So he gathered them behind Ubayy bin Ka'b (رضي الله عنه). On another night, we went out again, and the people were praying together. Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: 'What a good innovation this is, but the prayer that they miss while sleeping (i.e., at the end of the night) is better than the one they are performing now.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 2010]
Note:
Umar (رضي الله عنه) referred to it as a "good innovation" in the linguistic sense, as it was a new practice to organize the Tarawih prayer in congregation after Isha. However, since it was based on an existing practice of the Prophet (ﷺ), it cannot be considered a religious innovation (Bid'ah) in the negative sense.
⑤ The Number of Rak‘ahs in Tarawih Prayer
❀ Hadith:Abu Salama bin Abdur Rahman reported that he asked Aisha (رضي الله عنها):
"How was the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during Ramadan?" She replied: 'He did not exceed eleven Rak‘ahs in Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four Rak‘ahs, do not ask about their beauty and length, then another four Rak‘ahs, do not ask about their beauty and length, and then he would pray three Rak‘ahs.'"
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 2013, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 738]
❀ Practice During Umar's Caliphate:
Saib bin Yazid (رضي الله عنه) said:
"Umar (رضي الله عنه) instructed Ubayy bin Ka'b (رضي الله عنه) and Tamim Dari (رضي الله عنه) to lead the people in prayer with eleven Rak‘ahs. The reciter would recite long chapters, so long that we used to rely on our staffs due to the prolonged standing, and we would finish close to dawn."
[Muwaṭṭa’ Imām Mālik, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh]
⑥ The Reward of Completing Tarawih with the Imam
❀ Hadith:Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever prays with the Imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he prayed the whole night."
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd 1375, Sunan Tirmidhī 806, Sunan Nasā’ī 1364]
Note:
This Hadith highlights the virtue of praying the entire Tarawih with the Imam, as it is equivalent to standing in prayer for the whole night. Therefore, one should strive to complete the prayer with the Imam and not leave early, as this ensures a great reward during the blessed month of Ramadan.
