Taraaweeh and Tahajjud During Ramadhan

Shehu Uthman Dan Fuduye’ said in his Ihya: “From the
path of the sunna of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, during Ramadan is it
being highly recommended to stand in prayer
(al-qiyaam) during the nights of Ramadan.

It is related in the Saheeh of al-Bukhari on the
authority of Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with
him that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace said,

"Whoever stands in prayer during the nights of Ramadan
with true faith and with self reckoning will have all
his previous sins forgiven him."

Imam an-Nawwawi in his commentary upon the Saheeh of
Imam Muslim said: His words ‘with true faith’ here
means: “Acceptance that it is the truth and intending
by it to obtain the merits of fasting. His words ‘self
reckoning’ means: That one desires Allah alone in the
fasting and that the objective is not to be seen by
people or any other objective other than true
sincerity.”

Imam al-Khataabi said: “His words ‘self reckoning’ in
the prophetic tradition means that he should fast with
the idea of yearning for the rewards of fasting, while
his soul is content with it. He should not belittle
the fasting nor complain of the length of its days.”

Imam an-Nawwawi said: “What is meant by his words
‘during the nights of Ramadan’ is prayer of
at-taraaweeh. The scholars of the sunna are agreed
upon the prayer of taraaweeh being highly recommended.

However, they differ regarding the superiority of
praying singularly at home or in congregation in the
masjid.

Imam as-Shafi`, and a large group among his students,
Abu Hanifa, Ahmad, some of the Malikis and others have
said: It is best to do the prayer in congregation as
Umar ibn al-Khataab and the Companions, may Allah be
pleased with them established, along with the
continual behavior of the Muslims on that.

This is because this is among the apparent rites of
Islam and it resembles the prayer of the Eid.

However, Imam Malik, Abu Yusef and some of the Shafi`s
say: It is best to pray the taraaweeh singularly in
the home based upon the saying of the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace

“The best prayer is the prayer that a person prays in
his home, except the prescribed prayers.”

Imam an-Nawwawi said: “His words ‘…will have all his
previous sins forgiven him’, it is understood by the
jurists that this forgiveness is specific for small
sins but not the major sins.

While some of the jurists say: ‘It is conceivable that
this prophetic tradition means that the major sins
will be reduced once the small sins have been
removed.”

The essence of the prophetic tradition: “Whoever
stands in prayer during the nights of Ramadan with
true faith and with self reckoning will have all his
previous sins forgiven him”, is that the servant can
give life to the nights of Ramadan with every variety
of worship and drawing near to Allah ta`ala which has
been confirmed in the Sunna of the Beloved Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant peace.

This includes superogatory prayers, seeking
forgiveness, remembrance of Allah, supplication,
recitation of Qur’an, and reflection. Amir’l-Mu’mineen
Muhammad Bello said in his Infaq’l-Maysuur describing
apart of the night vigils that the Shehu prescribed
for the servants of Allah ta`ala: “You should pray at
least two rak`ats for tahajjud in the middle of the
night. You should recite in the first raka`at the
al-Faatiha and then surat’l-Kahf (‘the Cave’) and in
the second raka`at the al-Faatiha and then
surat’l-ad-Dhukhaan (‘the Smoke’). Or you can recite
Yaaseen in the first raka`at and then al-Mulk in the
second. Or you can recite al-Kaafiruun in the first
and al-Ikhlaas in the second. All this should be based
upon what you have memorized and the extent of the
time. You should say in the prostration;

“O Allah, be merciful with my humility and submissiveness towards You, and make my solitude in front of You be the source of intimacy. Be merciful towards me, verily You have power over all things.”

You should send blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace one hundred times after the two rak`ats.”

Success is with Allah