Taraweeh? Witr? Nawafil? - RAMADAAN

TARAWEEH:

Q1) Is Taraweeh Fard? When can we pray Taraweeh?
Ans) Taraweeh is Sunnah not Fard, the Prophet (saws) led his companions in prayer (Taraweeh) for several nights, and then on the third or fourth night he did not come out to them. When morning came He (saws) said: “Nothing prevented me from coming out to you except the fact that I feared that it would be made obligatory for you.” [Sahih Bukhari]
The time for Taraweeh begins when Isha prayer is over, as was stated by al-Baghawi and others and lasts until dawn comes.

It says in al-Insaaf (4/166): "The time for it (i.e., Taraweeh) begins after Isha prayer and its Sunnahs, according to the correct view. This is the view of the majority and is the practice of the Muslims."

Q2) How many Rakah's are there in Taraweeh?
Ans) It has been narrated that the Messenger Muhammad (saws) used to pray 8 rakah Taraweeh (2x2x2x2) followed by 2 rakah of Witr, and then by another 1 rakah of Witr. 
Note that if one wants to pray more then 8, there is no restriction but its preferred to pray 8 rakahs. In a hadith of Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahmaan, who asked Aishah (ra), “How did the Messenger of Allah (saws) pray during Ramadaan?” She said: “He did not pray more than eleven rakahs in Ramadaan or at other times. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray three. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, will you sleep before you pray Witr?’ He said, ‘O Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.’” [Bukhari, 1909; Muslim, 73]

Q3) Can we hold and read from the Quraan if we are praying Taraweeh at home?

Ans) YES you can, the Scholars have clearly said there is no harm in doing so, the same goes incases of Dua's that one might not remember-can also be read by holding a piece of paper or a book. However holding a Quraan and reading in a Fard Salaah is considered as Makrooh by the Scholars of Islam.

It was narrated from Aishah (ra) that she told her freed slave Dhakwaan to lead her in praying night prayers during Ramadaan, and he used to read from the Mus-haf (collection of pages or can also be a book). [Bukhari in a mu’allaq majzoom report]

Also Al-Nawawi said: "If he reads from the Mus-haf that does not invalidate his prayer, whether he had memorized it or not. Rather he should do that if he has not memorized al-Fatihah, and if he turns the pages sometimes whilst praying that does not invalidate his prayer."
 

Q4) Evidence of finishing the Quraan in Taraweeh in the Month of Ramadaan?

Ans) There is no evidence whatsoever related to the saying of many Imaams who claim that the recitation of the Quraan must be completed during the month of Ramadaan in the Taraweeh prayers. This does not exist at all in the Shareeah and results in the Imaams rushing salaah and distorting the recitation in order to complete the Quraan as fast as possible.

Q5) Leaving the Masjid before the Imaam has completed all Prayers (Isha, Taraweeh & Witr)?

Ans) Some Brothers and Sisters leave the Masjid after praying Isha, or Taraweeh thus missing out on the reward of which the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Whoever stands (and prays) with the Imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he spent the night in prayer.” [Al-Tirmidhi (806), Abu Dawood (1375), Al-Nasai (1605) and Ibn Majah (1327) - Classed as Sahih by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Khuzaymah (3/337), Ibn Hibban (3/340)]

As for the one who prays as much as he can and then leaves before the Imaam has completed his prayer, only what he has prayed will be recorded for him.

WITR & NAWAFIL: 

Q1) Is Witr Fard or Sunnah?

Ans) Scholars of Islam say Witr prayer is one of the greatest acts of worship that draws one closer to Allah, however Witr prayer is Sunnah Muakkadah (a confirmed Sunnah) according to the majority of Scholars. Witr prayers are given superiority over Sunnah and Nawafil Prayers. Whoever prays it on some days and not on others will not be blamed for that, but it is highly advised to pray Witr regularly.

Ali (ra) said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “O people of the Quraan, pray Witr, for Allah is One and loves that which is odd-numbered.” [Abu Dawood (1416)]

Q2) When are we supposed to pray Witr?

Ans) Witr in Ramadaan should be prayed after Isha and Taraweeh or Nawafil prayers. The time for Witr prayer lasts from after Isha prayer until the dawn begins.

Ibn Umar (ra) said that the Prophet (saws) said: “Hasten to pray Witr before dawn.” [Saheeh Muslim]

bn Umar (ra) said that the Prophet (saws) said: “When dawn comes, all the night prayers and Witr are over, so pray Witr before dawn comes.” [Saheeh al-Tirmidhi 469]

Prophet (saws) said: “The night prayers are two (rakahs) by two, then when you think that morning (dawn) is about to begin, pray one (rakah) and it will make what you have prayed Witr (odd-numbered).” [Bukhari (472)]

Q3) Witr should be the last prayer of the Night?

Ans) YES, its preferred to have prayed Witr as your last Salaah of the Night.

Abdallah ibn Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Make the last of your prayer at night Witr.” [Bukhari, 998; Muslim, 749]

Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Witr is one rakah at the end of the night.” [Muslim (752)]

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, but whoever thinks that he will be able to get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better.” [Muslim (755)]

Q4) But if Witr is supposed to be the last Prayer of the Night then how can we pray Nawafil or Tahajjud Prayers after the Imaam has completed the Salaah with Witr? Should I pray Witr again in the Night?

Ans) There is nothing wrong with the person who prays Witr in the first part of the night or the middle of the night offering any Nawafil prayers he wants after Witr, even though it is mustahab (recommended) for the last of his prayer at night to be Witr - Please note its recommended not obligated.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo, 3/512:
If a person prays Witr then he wants to offer a naafil prayer etc at night, that is permissible and is not makrooh, but he should not repeat Witr. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah who was asked about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (saws). She said: “We used to prepare his siwaak (tooth stick) and water for wudoo’ for him, then Allah would cause him to wake up at any time He willed at night. He would use the tooth stick, do wudoo’ and pray nine rak’ahs, in which he would not sit except in the eighth, when he would remember Allah, glorify Him and make du’aa’.  Then he would get up without saying salaam, and pray the ninth rak’ah. Then he would sit down and again remember Allaah, glorify Him and make du’aa’. Then he would say a salaam that we could hear, then he would pray two rak’ahs after that, whilst sitting down.” [Narrated by Muslim; this is part of a lengthy hadeeth, which is to be understood as meaning that the Prophet (saws) prayed two rak’ahs after Witr to show that it is permissible to pray after Witr.]

So, if a person prays Witr then he wants to offer a Nawafil prayer etc at night, that is permissible and is not makrooh, but he should not repeat Witr, rather the Witr that he prayed at the beginning of the night is sufficient.

Talq ibn Ali said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say, “There should not be two Witrs in one night.” [Tirmidhi 470; al-Nasai 1679; Abu Dawood 1439] 

Q5) What are the ways of Praying Witr?

Ans) The minimum number of rakahs for Witr is one rakah as mentioned in above Muslim 752 Hadith BUT Witr may also be Three or Five or Seven or Nine. However in Ramadaan its recommended to go with Three BUT do not pray Three rakah as that of Maghrib:
Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: ‘Do not pray Witr like Maghrib.’ [Sahih - at-Tabarani]

If a person prays Three rakahs of Witr this may be done in Two ways, both of which are prescribed in Shariah:

1 – To pray them one after another, with one Tashahhud, because of the Hadith of Aishah (ra) who said: The Prophet (saws) used not to say the Tasleem in the (first) two rakahs of Witr. According to another version: “He used to pray Witr with three rakahs and he did not sit except in the last of them.” [Nasai, 3/234; Sahih al-Bayhaqi, 3/31]

2 – Saying the Tasleem after Two rakahs, then praying one rakah on its own, because of the report narrated from Ibn Umar (ra), that he used to separate the two rakahs from the single rakah with a Tasleem, and he said that the Prophet (saws) used to do that. [Ibn Hibbaan (2435); Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (2/482) its isnaad is qawiy (strong)]

Q6) What if we want to pray Witr at Home as the last Salaah of the Night and not with the Imaam after Taraweeh?

Ans) It is not recommended to leave the Masjid before ending the prayer with the Imaam and loose the reward equivalent to spending the whole night in prayer, so the following can be done as suggested by Scholars:

When the Imam says the Salam at the end of Witr, do not say the Salam with him, rather stand up and do an extra rakah and that will be considered as your Nawafil prayer and so you can pray your Witr then at the end of the night.

Q7) Is dua Al-Qunoot in Witr Fard? Can we make any other Dua?

Ans) Dua Al-Qunoot is not Fard, its Sunnah in Witr and if a person omits it sometimes, his prayer is still valid and there is nothing wrong.

When the Prophet (saws) taught al-Husayn ibn Ali (ra) to say Qunoot in Witr, he did not tell him to omit it sometimes or to do it all the time. This indicates that either is permissible. Hence it was narrated that when Ubayy ibn Kab (ra) led the Sahabah in prayer in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saws), he used to omit Qunoot some nights; perhaps that was in order to teach the people that it is not obligatory.

YES, we can make any other dua, it is permissible to say other words or to add Dua's in Al-Qunoot. Even if we were to recite verses from the Quraan that include words of supplication (dua), that would be sufficient BUT not the Quraan itself, only Dua's from the Quraan. Any dua that is said will serve as Qunoot but it is better to recite the words that were narrated in the Sunnah.

Q8) When should we say the dua Al-Qunoot and how should we raise our Hands? Do we wipe our Face at the end of the Dua?

Ans) Dua Al-Qunoot is recited in the last rakah of Witr prayer, after Bowing meaning after Ruku OR it can also be recited before Bowing (Ruku). The Fuqaha among the scholars of Hadith, such as Ahmad and others, say that both are allowed, because both are mentioned in the Saheeh Sunnah, but they preferred reciting Qunoot after Bowing (Ruku) because this is mentioned more often.

Humaid says: "I asked Anas: 'Is the Qunoot before or after the Ruku'?' He said: 'We would do it before or after.'" [Sahih - ibn Majah]

Ubayy b. Kab said: "The Apostle of Allah (saws) recited supplication in the Witr before Bowing." [Abu Dawood book 2]

Now, the right way of raising your Hands is mentioned in a saheeh report from Umar (ra), as was narrated by al-Bayhaqi in a report which he classed as saheeh (2/210).

The worshiper should raise his hands to CHEST Height and no more up or further down, because this dua is not a dua of supplication in which a person needs to raise his hands high. Rather it is a dua of hope in which a person holds out his palms towards Heaven… The apparent meaning of the Scholar’s words is that the worshiper should hold his Hands close together like a beggar who asks someone else to give him something - Like you are begging to Allah.

NO, we should not Wipe our Hands on the Face after dua Al-Qunoot. There is no authentication of this on any Ahadith and is considered as Biddah. None of the narrations provide any proof of Wiping Hands over face especially after dua Al-Qunoot. The consensus of Scholars have agreed that the Prophet (saws) did not do such an act.

Al-Baihaqi writes regarding Wiping Face with hands after dua Al-Qunoot: "It is preferred not to do so and to confine one's self to what the early generations did. They raised their hands but did not wipe their faces during the prayer."

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT NOTE:

The basic principle is that one should raise the hands when making dua, because the Prophet (saws) said: “Allah is Most Generous, and He dislikes to turn away empty the hands of His slave when he raises them to Him.” [Sahih Tirmidhi, 3556]

Hands should be raised when making dua, except when the dua is part of another act of worship, in which case raising the hands is regarded as an additional action (and should not be done). Examples of such acts of worship as per Shariah law, where the Prophet (saws) did not raise his Hands includes:

1 - Friday or Eid Khutbah dua.

Raising the hands when the Imam is delivering the Khutbah on Friday or Eid is not prescribed in Shariah, neither for the Imaam nor for the members of the congregation. Rather what is prescribed is to listen attentively to the Imaam and to say ameen to his dua, rather it is sufficient for the Imam to point with his forefinger. The Sahabah denounced Bishr ibn Marwan when he raised his hands during the Friday khutbah. But an exception is made in the case of prayers for rain (istisqaa), because it is proven that the Prophet (saws) raised his hands when praying to Allah for rain during the Friday khutbah, and the people raised their hands with him. But apart from that one should NOT raise one's hands when making dua during the Friday khutbah.

Umarah ibn Ruaybah saw Bishr ibn Marwan on the minbar raising his hands (Abu Dawood added: when he was making dua on Friday), and he said: “May Allah make these two hands ugly. I saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) doing no more than this with his hand,” and he gestured with his forefinger. [Muslim (874); Abu Dawood (1104)]

2- Tawaaf (circumambulation of the Kabah), Saie (running between al-Safa and Marwah)

3 - Anywhere in the Salaah except dua Al-Qunoot in Witr.

4 - Morning and Evening Adhkaars.

Insha'Allah we pray that this knowledge was of some benefit to our dear Muslimeen. May Allah accept all our service to His deen and forgive us for our flaws - AMEEN.