Is Taraweeh Mandatory or Optional?

Is Taraweeh Mandatory or Optional? No, Tarawih is not Fard (obligatory); rather, it is a highly emphasized Sunnah Muakkadah (confirmed, emphasized Sunnah) prayer performed during Ramadan. This means that Trawih is a very important practice of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with enormous rewards. However, skipping it without a valid reason does not result in sin, though it does mean missing important blessings like forgiveness of past sins for praying with the Imam.

Categories: PRAYER

Key Points (Is Taraweeh Mandatory or Optional?):

Not Obligatory: 

Unlike the five daily prayers, Tarawih isn’t compulsory. 

Emphasized Sunnah: 

The significance of it was emphasized by the Prophet’s (PBUH) frequent prayers and encouragement.

Great Reward: 

Forgiveness of sins is one of the many benefits of praying Taraweeh, especially when it is done alongside the Imam.

Can Be Prayed at Home: 

Congregational prayer in the mosque is encouraged, but it’s also a Sunnah to pray at home, as the Prophet (PBUH) occasionally did to avoid making it mandatory.

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Is It A Sin To Leave Tarawih?

Although it is recognized that Tarawih is not required, the Fiqh states differently whether leaving it constitutes a sin. The views of the two most well-known schools of thought regarding abandoning the Taraweeh prayer are listed below.

Fiqh Hanafi

The school of Hanafi holds that Tarawih is a sunnah muakkada (strong sunnah) and that leaving it without a good reason is sinful.

Fiqh Shafi

According to the Shafi school, leaving Tarawih without a good reason is not punished. However, in order to benefit from it, it is strongly advised to pray for it.

Ibn Naqib Al-Misri writes in Umdat As-Salik that “it is mandub (recommended) to perform taraweeh, consisting of 20 raka’at each night during Ramadan, in congregation, with salams made after every two raka’at.” (page 158).

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Is Taraweeh Prayer Bidah?

Is Taraweeh Mandatory or Optional? The idea that Tarawih is a bidah (innovation) in the deen is one of the many myths that surround the subject. However, how can something be considered innovative when it is supported by multiple hadiths and the Prophet PBUH himself urged Muslims to offer Tarawih prayers? Additionally, all Muslim scholars concur that Tarawih is a prayer that dates back to the Prophet PBUH’s period.

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