Tahajjud atau Tarawikh?

We will stay short, but still very comprehensive. Insha-Allah.1st Evil Innovation: A lie upon Rasool (saww) that Tarawih was his SunnahIt is a lie upon Rasool (saw) that Tarawih was his Sunnah. It is falsely claimed that:Rasool (saw) offered Tarawih for 3 Nights.But then he stopped while he feared that Tarawih might become obligatory upon Ummah.Answer: Rasool offered Tahajjud during those 3 nights and not Tarawih

Please note:Tarawih is 20 or 8 Rakah prayer after Isha عشاء PrayerBut Rasool (saww) not even a Single time in his life offered any such 20 or 8 Rakah Salah after Isha عشاء prayer.What Rasool (saww) offered for 3 nights, was only and only TAHAJJUD Prayer (which starts after Midnight).For proof, see the following hadith, where it is particularly mentioned that Rasool (saww) came for prayer only after the “Middle of Night”.

Lihat surah Al-Israa’ ayat 78: “Dirikanlah solat dari sesudah matahari tergelincir sampai gelap malam (ghasaqil lail= pertengahan malam= middle of night( untuk lebih tepat lihat terjemahan B. Inggeris ayat ini)= berakhir waktu solat Isyak…. Dan dirikanlah pula solat Suboh….“ (Sesudah ghasaqil lail adalah waktu solat tahajjud=qiamul lail).

Cth jika Maghrib masuk pukul 7.30 dan Suboh pukul 5.50 pagi maka antara masuknya waktu Maghrib dan waktu Suboh ada 10 jam 20 minit bahagi 2 = 5 jam 10 minit= (Pertengahan malam)
Campurkan: 7.30 mlm + 5 jam 10 minit= 12.40 malam. Inilah yg dikatakan (ghasaqil lail- pertengahan malam= middle of night) yakni berakhirnya waktu solat Isyak.

Ayat ini di samping Surah Hud ayat 114 adalah ayat yang mengharuskan solat jamak (tanpa sebab /musafir) kerana menunjukkan masuknya waktu secara bersamaan. Perkara ini dah banyak yang maklum. Nak buat atau tidak terserah pada individu…… (P/s - Ini mengesahkan lagi perbahasan tentang waktu solat tahajjud dan masalah boleh jamak solat tanpa ragu lagi)

Narrated 'Urwa:That he was informed by 'Aisha, "Allah's Apostle went out in the MIDDLE OF NIGHT(i.e. For Tahajjud) and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed behind him. In the morning, the people spoke about it and then a large number of them gathered and prayed behind him (on the second night). In the next morning the people again talked about it and on the third night the mosque was full with a large number of people. Allah's Apostle came out and the people prayed behind him. On the fourth night the Mosque was overwhelmed with people and could not accommodate them, but the Prophet came out (only) for the Morning Prayer.Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 32, Number 229Therefore, people must stop lying upon Rasool (saw) that he prayed such 8 or 20 Rakah Salah after Isha Prayer and thus it is his Sunnah.

1st challengeThose who claim such absurdities may prove to us that the present day Tarawih (i.e. Praying 8 or 20 Rakah Salat after Isha Prayer) was ever practiced by Rasool Allah (saww).Note: Some blind ignorant people (including Mufties of Saudia) have nowadays started claiming that “Qiyamul Lail قیام الیل “(i.e. Tahajjud) and Tarawih after Isha Prayer are the same thing. We will deal with this later on. Insha-Allah.2nd Evil Innovation: Praying Tarawih in Congregation (Jama’ah) in MosqueSome people claim that Rasool (saww) stopped the so called Tarawih Prayer (First) in Congregation and (Second) in Mosque, while he feared it to become obligatory upon Ummah. And while Rasool (saw) already passed away, therefore it can no more become compulsory for Ummah.Answer: Offering Nawafil at home is Sunnat—Mu’akkidah (sunnat yg sangat dituntut)Again, this is half Truth and half Lie. The defenders of Tarawih are concentrating on “Non-Related” part of speech of Rasool (saw), while completely neglecting the “Related One” and most important part of his Saying.Here is the complete speech of Rasool (saw):Narrated Zaid bin Thabit:Allah's Apostle made a small room (with a palm leaf mat). Allah's Apostle came out (of his house) and prayed in it. Some men came and joined him in his prayer.

Then again the next night they came for the prayer, but Allah's Apostle delayed and did not come out to them. So they raised their voices and knocked the door with small stones (to draw his attention). He came out to them in a state of ANGER, saying, "You are still insisting (on your deed, i.e. Tarawih prayer in the mosque) that I thought that this prayer (Tarawih) might become obligatory on you. So you people, offer this prayer (i.e. Tahajjud or the so called Tarawih) at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is the one which he offers at home, except the compulsory (congregational) prayer."Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 134Thus Rasool (saw) particularly/specifically referred to this Tahajjud (or the so called Tarawih) Prayer, and told:Offer this Tahajjud (or so called Tarawih) prayer at your homes.And at homes too, pray them individually (i.e. don’t start making Jamah (i.e. Congregation) at homes.Offering these Nawafil (solat Sunat) individually at homes is better than Mosque till Qiyammah (and is irrelative of Rasool (saww) being alive or dead)Therefore, it is Sunnat-e-Mu’akkidah (i.e. Very Strongly Recommended) to pray Nawafil at homes, while praying this so called Tarawih is directly against this Strong Recommendation of Rasool (saw).Side Comment: It is not allowed to pray Nawafil in Congregation (Jammah)In the Sharia of Islam, it is not allowed to pray any kind of Nawafil in Congregation.The Defenders of Tarawih deny it and object why then Rasool (saw) offered the Nawafil of Tahajjud (which is also known as Qiyam-ul-Lail) in congregation for the 3 nights?The answer is, Rasool (saw) didn't offer any non-compulsory Nafl prayer during those 3 nights, but it was a compulsory prayer which he offered, and only due to this he allowed people to join behind him in congregation.Qiyyam-ul-Lail was made compulsory Only for Rasool (saw) by Allah (swt). Allah says in Quran:Dalam surah Al Isra’: 79, Allah SWT. Berfirman, “Dan pada sebahagian malam hari bersalat tahajjudlah kamu sebagai suatu ibadah tambahan bagimu, mudah-mudahan Tuhanmu mengangkat kamu ke tempat yang terpuji “. (Ayat perintah “bersalat tahajjudlah” – bermaksud jika bukan hanya diwajibkan untuk nabi nescaya setiap malam kita juga WAJIB solat tahajjud- ada berani ka?)

[Shakir 17:79] And during a part of the night, pray Tahajjud beyond what is incumbent on you; maybe your Lord will raise you to a position of great glory.Therefore, Rasool (saw) was only offering the Compulsory Prayer with Niyyah of “Fardh” فرض , and when people joined behind him, they only followed the Niyyah of Imam.Hence, it is wrong to say that Rasool (saw) made the Jama’ah for any Nafl Prayer during his whole life.2nd challengeRasool (saww) specifically and particularly wanted (and strongly recommended) about this Tahajjud (or so called Tarawih) prayer to be offered at homes.Prove us that:This strong Recommendation of Rasool (saww) is abrogated after his death.Praying it in congregation (and that too in mosques) is better than praying it individually at homes.3rd Evil of Tarawih: It has ended one Highly Recommended Sunnah of Rasool (saw) (i.e. Sunnat-e-Mu’akkidah)Yes, Tarawih is done against the Strong Recommendation of Rasool (saw) of praying Nawfil at homes till Qiyyammah.According to sayings of Rasool (saw), one sign of Biddah (Evil Misguided Innovation) is this that people stop acting upon one similar Sunnah of Rasool. Therefore Prophet (saw) said:When one nation innovates some thing, then one Sunnah of same kind is disappeared.Mishkaat, page 31, Urdu Edition 3rd ChallengeThis is an ample proof of Tarawih to be among one of Evil Misguided Innovations, otherwise it is a challenge to prove otherwise.

4th Evil: Tarawih vs “Sahaba Worship”Yes, present form of Tarawih has nothing to do with Sunnah of Rasool (saw), and it is based only and only upon the disease of “Sahaba Worship” and is done only for this reason that Umar Ibn Khattab introduced it (against the Recommendation of Rasool (saw)).Narrated Abu Huraira:Ibn Shihab (a sub-narrator) said, "Allah's Apostle died and the people continued observing that (i.e. Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation), and it remained as it was during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of 'Umar's Caliphate." 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Abdul Qari said, "I went out in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar said, 'in my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked, 'what an excellent Bid'a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of the night(Tahajjut).Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 32, Number 227Mawlana Waheeduz Zaman (A famous Sunni Scholar in Indian-Subcontinent who wrote commentry of Bukhari) writes after this hadith:"From this words of Hadhrat Umar (i.e. what a good Innovation), it becomes clear that he he himself not joined that prayer. Perhaps Hadhrat Umar thought that Nafl prayers are better at home and at the last part of night.

Muhammad bin Nasr Marozy narrated that Ibn Abbas said that he was with Hadhrat Umar that people started making noises. Upon this Hadhrat Umar inquired what was that. Others told him that people are going back after offering Tarawih. Hearing this, Hadhrat Umar said: "The night that has been left, is better that what has passed away".