Post by AbuHumayd on May 18, 2018 15:02:23 GMT
Are the tarāwīḥ prayer and the tahajjud prayer one and the same? No. According to the vast majority of the Scholars, they are not the same; they are different prayers. Consider the following points:
- Tahajjud was prayed by Rasūlullāh ﷺ at night, after some sleep as was commanded upon him in the Qur'ān in Sūrat 'l-Muzzammil.[1] and also mentioned in Sūrat 'l-Isrā'.[2] Imām al-Baghawī mentions in his Tafsīr after the verse in al-Isrā': "Meaning, stand after [some] sleep, [as] there is no tahajjud except after sleep."[3] There are also many reports mentioned in the Sunnah that Rasūlullāh’s ﷺ practice was to sleep and then wake up for tahajjud as I shall mention in the next point.
- Tarāwīḥ prayer was made Sunnah only for Ramaḍān as Rasūlullāh ﷺ said: ‘The one who stands in prayer in Ramaḍān out of sincere faith, hoping for reward will have his previous sins forgiven.’[4] Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-’Asqalānī mentions in the commentary quoting al-Kirmānī: "The Scholars have agreed that the standing in Ramaḍān is in reference to the tarāwīḥ prayer."[5] This is further supported by the practice of Rasūlullāh ﷺ during some nights in Ramaḍān where the Companions congregated behind him in the Masjid[6], according to some reports this was straight after the ’Ishā' prayer[7], and also similar is mentioned in other recorded incidents[8], which means this could not have been the tahajjud prayer because his ﷺ normal practice was to pray tahajjud in the last third of the night, as mentioned in al-Bukhārī that he would love the prayer of Dāwūd عليه السلام which was to sleep half the night and pray one third.[9]
Important point: It is agreed that sleeping first then waking up to pray tahajjud is more rewarding, and that this was the Prophet’s ﷺ practice, which would beget the question; why would Rasūlullāh ﷺ sacrifice that which is more rewarding [sleep and then wake up to pray] than to pray it early [straight after ’ishā' without sleeping] *especially* in the month of Ramaḍān? The only logical explanation would be that both prayers are different. So it should be said that he ﷺ prayed a specific prayer straight after ’Ishā' (in congregation with the companions), went home and slept, then woke up to pray another prayer, tahajjud. Or if he didn’t sleep he would spend the whole night in tahajjud prayer because the general narrations indicate that Allāh answers prayers in the last portion of the night.[10] And when better to act upon these narrations than Ramaḍān?
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[1] Qur'ān (73:1-4)
[2] Qur’an (17: 79)
[3] Tafsīr 'l-Baghawī [5/116]
[4] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1905]
[5] Fatḥ 'l-Bārī sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [6/289]
[6] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1908]
[7] Musnad Aḥmad [6/268 #26350]
[8] Musnad Aḥmad [5/172 #21549]
*بعد العتمة* here means after ’Ishā'.
He ﷺ said: "...Indeed we are standing for night prayer inshā'Allāh, so whoever from you wants to stand with us then he should. It was the 23rd night, so the Prophet ﷺ offered the prayer in congregation after ’Ishā' until one third of the night elapsed.."
[9] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1079]
[10] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1145]
- Tahajjud was prayed by Rasūlullāh ﷺ at night, after some sleep as was commanded upon him in the Qur'ān in Sūrat 'l-Muzzammil.[1] and also mentioned in Sūrat 'l-Isrā'.[2] Imām al-Baghawī mentions in his Tafsīr after the verse in al-Isrā': "Meaning, stand after [some] sleep, [as] there is no tahajjud except after sleep."[3] There are also many reports mentioned in the Sunnah that Rasūlullāh’s ﷺ practice was to sleep and then wake up for tahajjud as I shall mention in the next point.
- Tarāwīḥ prayer was made Sunnah only for Ramaḍān as Rasūlullāh ﷺ said: ‘The one who stands in prayer in Ramaḍān out of sincere faith, hoping for reward will have his previous sins forgiven.’[4] Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-’Asqalānī mentions in the commentary quoting al-Kirmānī: "The Scholars have agreed that the standing in Ramaḍān is in reference to the tarāwīḥ prayer."[5] This is further supported by the practice of Rasūlullāh ﷺ during some nights in Ramaḍān where the Companions congregated behind him in the Masjid[6], according to some reports this was straight after the ’Ishā' prayer[7], and also similar is mentioned in other recorded incidents[8], which means this could not have been the tahajjud prayer because his ﷺ normal practice was to pray tahajjud in the last third of the night, as mentioned in al-Bukhārī that he would love the prayer of Dāwūd عليه السلام which was to sleep half the night and pray one third.[9]
Important point: It is agreed that sleeping first then waking up to pray tahajjud is more rewarding, and that this was the Prophet’s ﷺ practice, which would beget the question; why would Rasūlullāh ﷺ sacrifice that which is more rewarding [sleep and then wake up to pray] than to pray it early [straight after ’ishā' without sleeping] *especially* in the month of Ramaḍān? The only logical explanation would be that both prayers are different. So it should be said that he ﷺ prayed a specific prayer straight after ’Ishā' (in congregation with the companions), went home and slept, then woke up to pray another prayer, tahajjud. Or if he didn’t sleep he would spend the whole night in tahajjud prayer because the general narrations indicate that Allāh answers prayers in the last portion of the night.[10] And when better to act upon these narrations than Ramaḍān?
__________________________
[1] Qur'ān (73:1-4)
[2] Qur’an (17: 79)
[3] Tafsīr 'l-Baghawī [5/116]
[4] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1905]
[5] Fatḥ 'l-Bārī sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [6/289]
[6] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1908]
[7] Musnad Aḥmad [6/268 #26350]
كان الناس يصلون في مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم في رمضان بالليل أوزاعا يكون مع الرجل شيء من القرآن فيكون معه النفر الخمسة أو الستة أو أقل من ذلك أو أكثر فيصلون بصلاته قالت فأمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ليلة من ذلك أن أنصب له حصيرا على باب حجرتي ففعلت فخرج إليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بعد أن صلى العشاء الآخرة قالت فاجتمع إليه من في المسجد فصلى بهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ليلا طويلا ثم انصرف رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فدخل وترك الحصير على حاله فلما أصبح الناس تحدثوا بصلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بمن كان معه في المسجد تلك الليلة قالت وأمسى المسجد راجا بالناس فصلى بهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم العشاء الآخرة ثم دخل بيته وثبت الناس قالت فقال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ما شأن الناس يا عائشة قالت فقلت له يا رسول الله سمع الناس بصلاتك البارحة بمن كان في المسجد فحشدوا لذلك لتصلى بهم قالت فقال أطو عنا حصيرك يا عائشة قالت ففعلت وبات رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم غير غافل وثبت الناس مكانهم حتى خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إلى الصبح فقالت فقال أيها الناس أما والله ما بت والحمد لله ليلتي هذه غافلا وما خفي على مكانكم ولكني تخوفت إن يفترض عليكم
[8] Musnad Aḥmad [5/172 #21549]
قال إنا قائمون الليلة إن شاء الله فمن شاء منكم أن يقوم فليقم وهي ليلة ثلاث وعشرين فصلاها النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم جماعة بعد العتمة حتى ذهب ثلث الليل
*بعد العتمة* here means after ’Ishā'.
He ﷺ said: "...Indeed we are standing for night prayer inshā'Allāh, so whoever from you wants to stand with us then he should. It was the 23rd night, so the Prophet ﷺ offered the prayer in congregation after ’Ishā' until one third of the night elapsed.."
[9] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1079]
[10] Ṣaḥīḥ 'l-Bukhārī [no. 1145]