Muslims are strongly encouraged to observe the Tarawih prayer during the month of Ramadan. Consistently performing it has exceptional benefits even though it is not required. This article will address the significance of performing the Tarawih prayer each night drawing from the Quran the Prophet ﷺs hadith perspectives.
Forgiving Past Sins
Past sin forgiveness is one of the main benefits of Tarawih prayer. As stated by the Prophet ﷺ:
مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
“Whoever stands (in prayer) during Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari, no. 37; Muslim, no. 759)
According to this hadith if one prays at night during Ramadan including Tarawih with genuine faith and the expectation of receiving a reward from Allah one can find forgiveness of sins. How wonderful it is if we can find whole month of forgiveness through our tarawih prayer.
Also read:The Moral, Health, and Social impact of Ramadan Fasting
Reward Worth a Whole Prayerful Night
There is great virtue in praying the Tarawih prayer in congregation until it is finished. The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ قِيَامُ لَيْلَةٍ
“Indeed, when a man prays with the imam until he finishes, it is recorded for him as if he prayed the entire night.” (Tirmidhi, no. 806; Abu Dawud, no. 1375)
This hadith proves that one can still obtain the same reward as if they had prayed all night long without actually doing so. So what about a whole month night’s worth of prayer if we do tarawih a whole Ramadan.
Also read:Tips for Maintaining The Spirit of Ramadan While Travelling
Following the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions Sunnah
The Prophet Muhammads ﷺ Sunnah included the Tarawih prayer which his companions carried on with him. It is mentioned in a hadith that Aisha Radhiyallahu anha recounted:
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَصَلَّوْا بِصَلَاتِهِ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ النَّاسُ تَحَدَّثُوا بِذَاكَ، فَاجْتَمَعَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُمْ، فَخَرَجَ اللَّيْلَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَصَلَّوْا بِصَلَاتِهِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَتَحَدَّثَ النَّاسُ، فَكَثُرَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ، فَخَرَجَ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ اللَّيْلَةُ الرَّابِعَةُ عَجَزَ الْمَسْجِدُ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ، فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ صَنِيعَكُمْ، فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنْ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out one night and prayed in the mosque. Some people joined him in prayer. The next morning, people talked about it, so more people gathered the next night. The Prophet ﷺ came out and led them in prayer again. On the third night, the number of people increased even more. When the fourth night came, the mosque was overcrowded, but the Prophet ﷺ did not come out to lead them. In the morning, he said: ‘I saw what you did, but what prevented me from coming out was that I feared that it would be made obligatory upon you.'” (Bukhari, no. 924; Muslim, no. 761)
Although Tarawih prayer is strongly advised the Prophet ﷺ did not want his followers to be obligated by sharia to do it as this hadith makes clear. But at this era, that issue is cleared so we can do a whole month of tawarih prayer.
Also read:Nuzulul Quran: Important Lessons from the First Revelation of the Quran in Ramadan
Reaching Laylatul Qadrs Virtue
Ramadan nights can be made more lively with the help of the tarawih prayer which also raises the likelihood of Laylatul Qadr—a night that is better than a thousand months. Allah says:
لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
A thousand months is nothing compared to Laylatul Qadr. The Quran Al-Qadr: 3.
Our goal is to perform Tarawih every night in order to reap the great benefits of this auspicious night. Because to guarantee that we get a share of Laylatul Qadr Benefits and Virtues, the only way is to consistently doing worship in those late Ramadan Nights.
Also read:The Virtue of Offering Iftar in the Month of Ramadan
In Conclusion
Even though its not required performing the Tarawih prayer each night during Ramadan has many benefits. The advantages are numerous and range from improving ones relationship with Allah to forgiving sins. Thus it is strongly advised that Muslims who are seeking Allah’s pleasure and maximizing the benefits of this holy month take advantage of this wonderful opportunity by continuing their regular Tarawih prayer routine.
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References
- Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Shahih al-Bukhari. Hadits no. 37, 924.
- Muslim, M. ibn al-H. (n.d.). Shahih Muslim. Hadits no. 759, 761.
- Tirmidzi, M. I. (n.d.). Sunan at-Tirmidzi. Hadits no. 806.
- Abu Dawud, S. (n.d.). Sunan Abu Dawud. Hadits no. 1375.
- KonsultasiSyariah.com. (2014, July 3). Keutamaan Shalat Tarawih. Retrieved from https://konsultasisyariah.com/22930-keutamaan-shalat-tarawih.html
- Rumaysho.com. (2009, August 20). Keutamaan Shalat Tarawih. Retrieved from https://rumaysho.com/446-keutamaan-shalat-tarawih.html
- IslamQA.info. (n.d.). Reward for Tarawih. Retrieved from https://islamqa.info/en/answers/48957/reward-for-tarawih
- Muhammad. (2015, June 8). Ikutilah Imam Shalat Tarawih 23 Rakaat Hingga Selesai. Rumaysho.com. https://rumaysho.com/11191-ikutilah-imam-shalat-tarawih-23-rakaat-hingga-selesai.html
- Yulian Purnama, S.Kom. (2017, June 18). Mengapa Rasulullah Tidak Tarawih Berjamaah Sebulan Penuh? Muslim.or.id. https://muslim.or.id/30408-mengapa-rasulullah-tidak-Tarawih-berjamaah-sebulan-penuh.html
- Surat Al-Qadr Ayat 3. (2015). Tafsir AlQuran Online. https://tafsirq.com/97-al-qadr/ayat-3
