[Article] Offering Tarawih Prayer at home

Offering Tarawih Prayer at home

The fourth question of Fatwa no. 7617

Q 4: The month of Ramadan has come and it is time to offer Tarawih (special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan), is it better to go and attend it in the Masjid (Mosque) or offer it at home?

(Part No. 7; Page No. 202)

I am not an Imam (the one who leads congregational Prayer), but a Ma’mum (person being led by an Imam in Prayer). I love to recite the Qur’an and prefer reciting to listening. Is there any sin if I pray Tarawih at home?

A: There is no sin on you if you offer Tarawih at home, because it is a Nafilah (supererogatory prayer). However, it is better to pray it with the Imam in the Masjid following the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them). When the Prophet (peace be upon him) led his Sahabah in Tarawih on some nights until the end of the first third of the night, one of them said to him: We wish that you would lead us in Nafilah Prayer for the rest of the night. He (peace be upon him) replied: Anyone who prays Qiyam (optional Night Prayer) with the Imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him as spending the whole night in prayer. (Related by Ahmad and the Compilers of the Sunan through a good Isnad [chain of narrators] from the Hadith of Abu Dhar) May Allah grant us success!

May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'

Member	Deputy Chairman	Chairman
`Abdullah ibn Qa`ud	`Abdul-Razzaq `Afify	`Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz

Source:  Fatwas of the Permanent Committee