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[Q-ID0501] Does the non-Fasting person have to pray the Tarawih prayer?

QUESTION:

What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue, that if a person cannot fast due to a valid reason, does he also have to pray Tarāwīh salāh and is it the same ruling as for fasting people? What is the general ruling of Tarāwīh and its proof?

Questioner: Ayn Khan from England

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

Tarāwīh is sunnah muakkadah (emphatic Sunnah) for both men and women by consensus; it is not permissible for anyone to leave it, regardless of whether he is fasting or not, it is the same ruling for all, provided that there is no valid excuse to miss Tarāwīh.

Just as it is mentioned in al-Durr al-Mukhtār,

” التَّرَاوِيحُ سُنَّةٌ مُؤَكَّدَةٌ لِمُوَاظَبَةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ (لِلرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ) إجْمَاعًا”

“Tarāwīh is sunnah muakkadah for both men and women by consensus; it is not permissible to leave it. The Khulafā Rāshideen would continuously act upon it.”

[al-Durr al-Mukhtār, Kitāb al-Salāh, Bāb al-Witr wa al-Nawāfil, Vol. 2, Pg. 596]

And it is also stated in Bahār-e-Sharī’at that, ‘Tarāwīh is sunnah muakkadah for both men and women by consensus; it is not permissible to leave it.’

[Bahār-e-Sharī’at, Vol. 1, Part 4, Pg. 688]

It is not only for those who are fasting, rather it is for all; be they men or women.

Tarāwīh is sunnah muakkadah and this is because the Khulafā Rāshideen would continuously act upon it and the Holy Prophet ﷺ stated,

“عَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ”

“Think of my sunnah and the sunnah of the Khulafā Rāshideen as necessary upon you and hold firm onto it.”

[Abū Dāwood/Jāmi’ al-Tirmizhī, Hadīth 2685, Vol. 4, Pg. 308]

And the Holy Prophet ﷺ also prayed Tarāwīh himself and was extremely fond of it and would encourage others towards it.

Just as it is narrated in Sahīh Muslim by Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah, may Allāh Almighty be pleased with him, that,

“مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ”

“Whosoever stands (for Tarāwīh salah) in Ramadān due to īmān and to earn reward, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.”

[Sahīh Muslim, Kitāb al-Salāh al-Musāfirīn, Hadīth 759]

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Haider Ali

Read the original answer in Urdu here – [Q-ID0501] Does the non-Fasting person have to pray the Tarawih prayer?

Also see:

[Q-ID0691] Does not praying the Tarawih prayer make you sinful?

[Q-ID0483] Can we pray Tarawih prayer in rak’ats of 4 instead of 2?

[Q-ID0476] What are the proofs for 20 rakaat Tarawih prayer?

[Q-ID0345] My local Imam recites too fast & makes mistakes, can I read shorter Tarawih elsewhere?

[Q-ID0343] Can I pray the Tarawih prayer at home instead of the Masjid?

 

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