Blessing Of Tarawih: A Comprehensive Guide to Fasting, Tarawih, and Worship

Virtues of loving pious people

Dear Islamic brothers! Did you see! A fortunate Islamic brother was blessed with the vision of the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم due to the blessings of the company of Rasūl's devotees. Therefore, we should always adopt the company of good people and love them. The fortunate Islamic brothers who travel with Madanī Qāfilahs develop love for good people in their hearts. Here are seven virtues of loving good people.

1. On the Day of Judgement, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ shall say 'Where are those who loved one another for the sake of My honour, I shall keep them in shade today, there is no shade except My shade today.' (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 1388, Ḥadīš 2566)
2. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ says, 'My love becomes Wājib for those who love one another for My pleasure, sit together, meet each other and spend their wealth for My pleasure.' (Muwaṭṭā Imām Mālik, pp. 439, vol. 2, Ḥadīš 1828)
3. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ says, 'There shall be pulpits of Nūr for those who love one another for the sake of My honour. The Prophets and martyrs will be impressed by them.' (Jāmi' Tirmiḏī, pp. 174, vol. 4, Ḥadīš 2397)
4. (When) two people love each other for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ shall gather them on the Day of Judgement even if one of them is in the east and the other in the west. (Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will then) say, 'He is the one you loved for My pleasure.' (Shu'ab-ul-Īmān, pp. 492, vol. 6, Ḥadīš 9022)
5. In Heaven, there are pillars of rubies which have balconies of emeralds that shine like stars, the companions asked, 'Yā Rasūlallāh صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, who will live in them.' He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, 'Those who love one another, sit together and meet one another for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.' (Shu'ab-ul-Īmān, pp. 487, vol. 6, Ḥadīš 9002)

6. Those who love one another for Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ shall sit beside the divine 'Arsh on chairs made of rubies. (Mu'jam Kabīr, pp. 150, vol. 4, Ḥadīš 3973)
7. The one who loves someone for Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, hates (someone) for Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, gives for Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and forbids for Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has perfected his faith. (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, pp. 290, vol. 4, Ḥadīš 4681)

Thirty-five Madanī pearls of Tarāwīḥ

1. Offering Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh is a Sunnat-ul-Muakkadah for every sane and adult Islamic brother and sister. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 493, vol. 2) Missing Tarāwīḥ is not permissible.
2. Tarāwīḥ consists of twenty Rak'āt. During the reign of Sayyidunā 'Umar Fārūq A'ẓam رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْہُ the Muslims would offer twenty Rak'āt of Tarāwīḥ. (Sunan Kubrā, pp. 699, vol. 2, Ḥadīš 4617)
3. The Jamā'at of Tarāwīḥ is a Sunnat-ul-Muakkadah 'Alal Kifāyaḥ. If all the people miss it they all will be considered to have committed an undesirable act. If a few people offer it with Jamā'at then those offering individually will remain deprived of the reward of Jamā'at. (Ḥiddāyaḥ, pp. 70, vol. 1)
   
4. The time for the Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh begins after offering the Farḍ of 'Ishā and ends at dawn (Ṣubḥ-e-Ṣādiq). If it is offered before the Farḍ of 'Ishā it will not be valid. (Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, pp. 115, vol. 1)
5. Tarāwīḥ can be offered even after the Farḍ and Witr of 'Ishā as well. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 494, vol. 2) This sometimes happens when the witness of the appearance of the moon is obtained with delay on the 29th (of Sha'bān).
6. It is Mustaḥab to delay the Tarāwīḥ until one third (1/3) part of the night has passed. There is no harm in offering Tarāwīḥ even after the passing of the half part of the night.
7. If missed, there is no Qaḍā for the Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 494, vol. 2)

8. It is better to offer the twenty Rak'āt of Tarāwīḥ in sets of two Rak'āt with ten Salāms. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 495, vol. 2)
9. Though all twenty Rak'āt of Tarāwīḥ can be offered with a single Salām, it is Makrūḥ to do so. It is Farḍ to do Qa'dah (i.e. sitting for reciting Tashahhud) after every two Rak'āt. One should recite Ṣalāt-'Alan-Nabī after Tashahhud in every Qa'dah, and recite S̱anā at the beginning of every odd Rak'at (i.e. 1st, 3rd, 5th etc). The Imām should also recite Ta'awwuẕ and Tasmiyyah in every odd Rak'at. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 496, vol. 2)
10. When offering Tarāwīḥ in sets of two Rak'āt, separate intention should be made before every two Rak'āt. It is also permissible to make only one intention for all the twenty Rak'āt in the beginning. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 494, vol. 2)
11. Offering Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh sitting without a valid exemption is Makrūḥ, and some respected Islamic jurists جُمْہُوْرِفُقَہَاء have declared that Tarāwīḥ will be invalid in this case. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, pp. 499, vol. 2)
12. It is preferable to offer the Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh with the Jamā'at in the Masjid. Though it is not a sin to offer it with a Jamā'at at home, one will not be able to get the reward of offering in the Masjid. (Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, pp. 116, vol. 1)

In case of offering Tarāwīḥ at home or in a public hall, it is Wājib to offer the Farḍ of 'Ishā Ṣalāh with the Jamā'at in the Masjid first. Instead of Masjid, offering the Farḍ of 'Ishā Ṣalāh with Jamā'at at home or in the hall etc. without a valid Sharī'ah exemption will amount to committing the sin of missing a Wājib. For more details on this issue, please go through the chapter of Faizān-e-Sunnat 'Excellence of Hunger (page no. 92 & 93).'

13. A minor can lead the Jamā'at of minors only in Tarāwīḥ.
14. An adult cannot offer Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh or any other Ṣalāh including even the Nafl Ṣalāh led by a minor. If an adult does so his Ṣalāh will not be valid.

15.  Reciting and listening to the entire Quran in Tarāwīḥ is Sunnat-ul-Muakkadah. (Fatāwā Razawiyyah (Jadīd), pp. 458, vol. 7)

16.  If a full-fledged Ḥāfiẓ is not available or the whole Quran could not be recited due to any other reason, one can recite any Sūrah in the Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh. If he wants, he can recite from 'اَلَمْ تَرَ' until 'وَقَاسَ' twice, this will make it easier to remember the twenty Rak'āt. (Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, pp. 118, vol. 1)

17.  It is a Sunnah to recite بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ once loudly, whereas reciting it in low voice before each Sūrah is Mustaḥab. The Mutā'akhkhirīn (succeeding scholars رَحِمَهُمُ اللّٰه have also declared) it Mustaḥab to recite قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰه three times in the completion of the whole Quran's recitation. Further, recitation from اَلَم to مُفْلِحُوْن in the last Rak'at is also preferable on the day of the completion of the recitation. (Bahār-e-Sharī'at, pp. 37, part 4)

18.  If the Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh becomes invalid due to some reason, the Sūrah or the part of the Quran recited during the invalid Rak'at should be repeated so that the recitation of the entire Quran would not remain incomplete. (Fatāwā 'Ālamgīrī, pp. 118, vol. 1)

19.  If the Imām misses a verse or Sūrah by mistake and continues to recite, it is Mustaḥab to recite the missed part and then carry on.

20.  If there's no harm in listening to the recitation of the complete Quran, one can offer Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāh in different Masājid. For example, if there are three such Masājid in which 1¼ parts of the Holy Quran is recited everyday, then one can go to each of them on different days.