Taraweeh

''Tarawih'' ( ar, تراويح, tarāwīḥ), also rendered in English as ''Taraweeh'', is derived from the Arabic root ر و ح related to rest and relaxation. Tarawih prayers are special Muslim prayers involving reading long portions of the Quran, as well as performing many rakahs (cycles of movement involved in Islamic prayer). They are exclusive to the Sunni denomination of Islam.

Name variations

* ace, seumayang teurawèh
* sq, namazi teravie
* ar, صلاة التراويح, ṣalāt at-tarāwīḥ
* az, təravih namazı
* bn, তারাবীহ, tarabīh
* bs, teravija namaz
* ha, sallar tarawihi
* hi, तरावीह, tarāvīh
* Indonesian, Malay: ''salat tarawih'', ''solat tarawih''
* jv, tarawèh
* kk, тарауих намазы, translit=tarawikh namaz'
*Kurdish: نوێژی تەڕاویح, romanized: nwéjī tarâwīḥ
* my, တာရာဝီနာမာ့ဇ်, tarawee namaz
* fa, نماز تراويح, namâz tarâvīḥ
* sh, teravih-namaz; teravija
* so, Taraawiix
* su, tarawéh
* sw, Tarawee
* tg, Таровеҳ romanized Taroveh
* tsg, tarawi
* tr, terâvih namazı
* ur, , namāz tarāvīḥ
* uz, tarovih namozi
* yka, tarawi
* Afghan Pashto د تراويح لمونځ

Overview

Tarawih prayers begin from the first Moon-sighted evening (start of Ramadan) to second Moon-sighted evening (last day of Ramadan). This prayer is performed in congregation during Ramadan of the Islamic calendar, after Isha (and before Witr, which is also prayed following the imam who leads the prayer aloud in one or three rakats unlike how it is done in other eleven months).

Tarawih prayers are prayed in pairs. According to the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi' and Hanbali schools of Sunni Islam, the standard number of rakats is twenty referring it to a narration in Muwatta' Imam Malik which said that "''In the time of Umar, the people used to offer 20 raka'āt"''. But it is clearly mentioned in the Muwatta' before the said narration that when Umar assigned duty to Ubay ibn Ka'b and Tamim al-Dari to lead the Tarawih, he ordered them to offer 11 raka'āt (8 of tarawih and 3 of witr). Sunni Muslims believe it is customary to attempt a ''takmil'' ("complete recitation" of the Quran) as one of the religious observances of ramadan, by reciting at least one ''juz''' per night in tarawih.

Tarawih prayers are considered optional (sunnah), or in other words, not obligatory. However, it is believed that the reward for them is great.

Muhammad is reported to have said, “Whoever stands with the imam (in Taraweeh prayer) until he finishes, it is equivalent to spending the whole night in prayer.” This hadith was used as a proof by Imam Ahmad.

Background

The Sunni prayer Tarawih has been mentioned in traditions as ''Qiyam al-Layl min Ramadan'' ("Standing of night in Ramadan") and ''Qiyam al-Ramadan'' ("Standing of Ramadan"). Some Sunni Muslims regard the Tarawih prayers as ''Sunnat al-Mu'akkadah''. Other Sunni Muslims believe Tarawih is an optional prayer that may be performed at home. According to this tradition Muhammad initially and briefly prayed the Tarawih in congregation during Ramadan, but discontinued this practice out of concern it would be mandated, yet he never forbade it. During the time when Umar was the caliph, he reinstated the praying of Tarawih in congregation.

Shia Muslims regard Tarawih as ''bid‘ah'', introduced after the death of Muhammad by Umar ibn al-Khattab, according to his own words.

A hadith from (Shia) kitab al-kafi: ‘Abu ‘Abdallah, peace be upon him, has said that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, would increase his prayer during the month of Ramadan. After Al-‘Atmah (late evening prayer, he would perform more prayers. People behind would stand up (for prayer), but he would go inside and leave them. Then, after he came out, they would come and stand up behind him (for prayer), but he would leave them and go inside several times’. He (the narrator) has said that the Imam then said: ‘You must not perform prayer after late evening prayer during the times other than the month of Ramadan’. �Al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, vol. 4, p. 154-155, declared SAHIH by Majlisi in his Mir’ah Al-‘Uqul 16/378a

Muhammad al-Bukhari narrated regarding the Tarawih prayer in Sahih al-Bukhari:

Instead, Twelvers believe in the Tahajjud prayer or ''Salat al-Layl'' ("night prayer"), which is recommended throughout the year, especially during the nights of Ramadan.

See also

*All-night vigil in Orthodox Christianity

References

Further reading

*John L. Esposito: ''The Oxford Dictionary of Islam''. Oxford University Press US 2004, , p. 276 ()

External links

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Fasting in Islam
Salah
Ramadan
Salah terminology