Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salam dear brother Burhan ............

Dear brother hope you are doing well by the grace of almighty Allah ,,,,Dear i asked you 2 questoins last week I hope still pending those question ,,,,,,,today i am asking you different question .....which is as follows :

Q : Turawee was done in the era of muhammad (PBUH) did prophit muhammad (PBUH) ordered it?

waiting for you answer...

your brother in islam

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Answer:

Did Tarawih originate in Prophet (saws) time

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

There is enough evidence in the established and authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that it was Prophet Mohamed (saws) who himself initiated the voluntary ‘tarawih’ prayers in Ramadan, and encouraged the believers to perform them.

Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (saws) said: "The Prophet (saws) offered (voluntary) night prayers in the mosque one night in Ramadan (tarawih) and many people prayed with him. The next day he (saws) did the same and more people prayed with him. Then the people gathered on the third night but, the Prophet (saws) did not come out to them. In the morning, he (saws) said to them: 'Surely I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you, save that I feared that [that the tarawih prayer] would be made obligatory upon you.' And that was during Ramadan."

Reported Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit that the Prophet (saws) took a room made of date palm leaves mats in the mosque. The Prophet (saws) prayed in it for a few nights till the people gathered (to pray the night prayer (Tarawih) (behind him.) Then on the 4th night the people did not hear his voice and they thought he had slept, so some of them started humming in order that he might come out. The Prophet (saws) then said, "You continued doing what I saw you doing till I was afraid that this (Tarawih prayer) might be enjoined on you, and if it were enjoined on you, you would not continue performing it. Therefore, O people! Perform your prayers at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is what is performed at his home except the compulsory (congregational) prayer.”

The Taraweeh prayers are voluntary and if one prays them, there is a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not offer them, there is no sin.

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) would encourage people to perform the special night prayers during Ramadan (tarawih) without commanding them as obligatory and he (saws) said: "Whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan [tarawih] with a firm belief and hoping for reward, all of his previous sins would be forgiven."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan