Significance of Taraweeh Prayer in Ramadan

Ramadan is the month of blessings it is the time to start fixing and adjusting our schedule accordingly. In the Holy month of Ramadan, it’s essential for every Muslim to leave every useless, worldly and bad thought behind and only think about Allah Almighty. While we fast and pray, even waiting for iftar is all about remembrance of Allah Almighty. Muslims offer special prayers during the holy month of Ramadan one of them is Taraweeh that is held every night during Ramadan. Every Muslim is expected to attend and offer this special prayer which is Taraweeh.

Taraweeh prayer is an obligatory Sunnah for all Muslims in Ramadan. According to hadith, Holy Prophet PBUH prayed one night in Mosque and several people followed Him in the mosque. Then He (SAW) prayed next night in mosque again and more people followed Him. Then the people gathered again in mosque on third and fourth night but Holy Prophet (SAW) did not come and the very next morning, He (SAW) said: “I saw what you did, and nothing kept me from coming out to you except the fact that I feared that it would be made obligatory for you” (Al-Bukhari). From this hadith, we concluded that Taraweeh prayer is the prescribed Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

According to Abu Hurairah (RA), Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that: “He who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven” (Muslim).  We can say that Taraweeh is one of the many blessings that Holy month of Ramadan brings for us.

Offering this special prayer for the entire month of Ramadan provides spiritual as well as medical benefits. It not only purifies our soul but also keeps us healthy and fit. Although offering this prayer is not compulsory but the virtues and benefit it holds leave no reason for skipping it. Taraweeh is a special prayer consisting of 20 Rakat which is performed immediately after the Isha prayer.

From the time of Abu Bakr (RA) to the beginning of `Umar’s (RA) time, people prayed either individually or in small groups. Later, Umar (RA) gathered everyone behind one imam and they prayed 8 Rakat. Eventually, it was increased to 20 raka‘at to make it easy for the people. Praying Taraweeh in congregation at mosques has more rewards than performing it at home, that does not mean it cannot be carried out at home, especially when there is a lockdown. It can be prayed at home, alone or in congregation with family and friends.

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