Summary
Proof of salat at taraweeh in congregation from the Sunnah
The hadith of Aishah رضي الله عنها shows that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the first who led salat at taraweeh in congregation in the masjid. He came out one night in the middle of the night and prayed in the masjid, men prayed with him, people spoke about it, then the number increased on the next nights until the masjid could not contain them. On the fourth night he did not come out, then after Fajr he said that nothing stopped him except fear that it would be made obligatory and that they would not be able to keep it. He died while the ruling remained as it was. (Sahih al Bukhari 2012)
The report of Abd ar Rahman ibn Abd al Qari shows how this continued. In the time of Umar ibn al Khattab رضي الله عنه people in Ramadan were praying in scattered groups in the masjid, some alone, some with a small group. Umar said that gathering them behind one reciter would be better, then he gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Kab رضي الله عنه.
Later he saw them praying behind one imam and said, “This is an excellent innovation, while the prayer they sleep through is better than the one they are performing,” meaning the last part of the night, while people were praying at the beginning of the night. (Sahih al Bukhari 2010)
Al Hakim narrated from al Nuʿman ibn Bashir رضي الله عنه that they stood with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Ramadan on the night of 23 until one third of the night had passed, on the night of 25 until half the night, and on the night of 27 until they thought they would not reach al falah, meaning the pre dawn meal they used to call al falah and others now call suhur.
He said, “This hadith is authentic upon the condition of al Bukhari, and they did not include it. In it is clear proof that the taraweeh prayer in the masjids of the Muslims is a prescribed sunnah. Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام used to urge Umar رضي الله عنهما to establish this sunnah until he established it.” (al Mustadrak by Al Hakim 2/82)
The hadith of Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه in Abu Dawud and at Tirmidhi supports this. They fasted Ramadan with the Prophet ﷺ, and he did not lead them until 7 nights remained. Then he led them until one third of the night passed.
On the 5th night he led them until half the night passed, then on the 3rd night he led them until they feared missing al falah, which he explained as the pre dawn meal. He said, “If a man prays with the imam until he finishes, it is written for him as the prayer of the whole night,” then he did not lead them for the rest of the month. (Sunan Abi Dawud 1375. Jami at Tirmidhi 806)
Ash Shatibi summed up the wisdom of this. The Prophet’s standing with them shows that standing in Ramadan in congregation in the masjid is a sunnah. His later refraining does not mean a complete abandonment.
It was only because his time was the time of revelation and there was a real fear that if they persisted on it an obligation would be revealed. When the cause of revelation ended with his death ﷺ, the ruling went back to its original basis. Its permissibility and recommendation had already been established, and there was nothing to cancel it. (al I’tisam by Ash Shatibi 1/329–333)
Why Abu Bakr did not have the people pray taraweeh
Ash Shatibi explains why Abu Bakr as Siddiq رضي الله عنه did not gather the people behind one imam for taraweeh, even though the practice itself was already a sunnah.
He gives 2 reasons.
The first is that Abu Bakr saw people standing at the end of the night and saw their strength in doing that. In his view, that standing at the end of the night was better than gathering them behind one imam at the beginning of the night, as at Tartushi mentioned.
The second is that his time was occupied with weighty matters such as fighting the people of apostasy and dealing with dangers to the state.
These urgent affairs did not leave space for examining such subsidiary issues as arranging taraweeh in one large congregation.
When Islam became firmly established in the time of Umar رضي الله عنه, and he saw people praying in scattered groups, he gathered them behind a single reciter. After that the Salaf agreed that this arrangement was correct and approved.
The ummah does not unite upon misguidance, and the people of usul state that consensus only occurs on the basis of a proof already present in the Sharia. (al Iqtisam 1/329–333)
Meaning of Umar’s saying “What an excellent innovation this is”
Ash Shatibi makes clear that salat at taraweeh in congregation is not from innovation in truth, because it was done by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and then gathered again in the time of Umar on an existing basis. (al Iqtisam 1/329–333)
Ibn Taymiyyah discusses the statement “What an excellent innovation this is”. He notes that most people who use this phrase as a proof, if asked to build a legal ruling only on the statement of Umar رضي الله عنه where he was not opposed, would themselves say that the saying of a Companion is not an independent proof. So it cannot be a proof against the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
And those who do treat the saying of a Companion as proof do not do so when it goes against hadith. On both sides, the saying of a Companion cannot be put in opposition to a hadith. At most, the unopposed saying of a Companion can specify the general wording of a hadith, according to one narration, and this only shows the goodness of that particular matter which he called a good innovation, not every later invented practice. (Iqtida as Sirat al Mustaqim 2/95)
He explains that Umar’s use of the word bidah is linguistic, not legal. Linguistically, bidah applies to everything done for the first time without a similar example before it. Legally, bidah is what has no proof in the Sharia.
If a text from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has already shown the recommendation or obligation of an action, and people only act on it after his death, such as the implementation of the Book of Charity brought out by Abu Bakr, then this is not a legal bidah even if it appears new in practice. (Iqtida as Sirat al Mustaqim 2/95)
So “What an excellent innovation this is” means that Umar praised the way he gathered people upon a sunnah that already had proof, arranging and reviving it in a new form, and not that he approved worship without any basis in the Sharia.
The weak Shia report about Ali forbidding taraweeh
The often quoted Shia report that Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام forbade salat at taraweeh and that the people then cried “O Umar, O Umar” is weak in its chain and does not prove a lasting prohibition. At Tusi brings the narration from Ali ibn al Hasan ibn Faddal, from Ahmad ibn al Hasan, from Amr ibn Saʿid al Madaini, from Musaddaq ibn Sadaqah, from Ammar, from Abu Abd Allah. In it, Ali allegedly ordered al Hasan ibn Ali to call out that there is no prayer in Ramadan in the masajid in congregation. The people cried out “O Umar, O Umar”, and when this was reported to Ali, he said, “Tell them to pray.” (Tahdhib al Ahkam 3/77–78)
The explanation attached to this report says that Ali objected to the manner of gathering, not to the prayer itself. When he saw that people would fall into trial and that the matter would become disturbed for him, he allowed them to continue with what they were used to.
However, its chain contains Musaddaq ibn Sadaqah and Ammar, who are from the Fadhihiyyah. Majlisi states, “Whoever is not an Imami of sound creed is a disbeliever.” (Bihar al Anwar 4/69)
Al Hilli weakens a report that passes through these figures, saying about a similar chain that the report is weak due to the weakness of its narrators, naming Ibn Faddal, Amr ibn Saʿid, Musaddaq ibn Sadaqah and Ammar, and stresses that their being Fadhihiyyah is itself a reason for weakening them, especially when their report is opposed by sound narrations. (al Muʿtabar fi Sharh al Mukhtasar 1/59–60)
Practice of Ali ibn Abi Talib in salat at taraweeh
Sunni narration preserves a clear report of Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه leading taraweeh in congregation. Al Bayhaqi narrates that Ali gathered the reciters in Ramadan and placed over them a man who led the people in 20 rakah, and that Ali would pray witr with them. He also records another chain with the same meaning from Ali. (as Sunan al Kubra 2/699)
This shows that Ali did not forbid salat at taraweeh in congregation in the masjid, but rather organised it and prayed witr with the people.
Shia evidence for congregational night prayers in Ramadan
Shia books contain narrations that show congregational night prayer in Ramadan and give a basis for what Muslims know as salat at taraweeh.
One report transmitted by al Majlisi from al Baqbāq and Ubayd ibn Zurarah, from Abu Abd Allah, describes that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to increase his night prayer in Ramadan. After salat al ʿatamah he would pray, and people would stand behind him. He would go inside and leave them, then come out again and find them gathered, and this happened several times. Then he said, “Do not pray after al ʿatamah outside of Ramadan.”
Al Majlisi graded this hadith sahih and commented that it indicates the impermissibility of supererogatory Ramadan prayer in congregation and that people agree it was from the innovations of Umar. Yet the text itself clearly describes the Prophet ﷺ praying at night in Ramadan with people behind him. (Mirat al uqul 16/378)
A direct Shia proof comes from the hadith of Abu Abd Allah عليه السلام who said, “Pray with your family in Ramadan the obligatory prayer and the supererogatory prayer, for indeed I do that.” It is narrated by Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn al Hakam, from Aban, from Abd al Rahman ibn Abi Abd Allah. Al Majlisi says that this narration is authenticated and reliable, close to sahih. (Tahdhib al Ahkam 3/294. Maladh al Akhyar)
He explains that here al Sadiq عليه السلام singled out the congregational night prayer in Ramadan with family, and that this is the very prayer known among the Muslims as salat at taraweeh.
Shia evidence for other congregational supererogatory prayers
If the earlier report is taken to prohibit prayer after Isha outside Ramadan, then Shia works themselves report that Ali ibn al Husayn عليه السلام used to gather his family for congregational night prayer on the night of the middle of Shaaban.
At Tusi relates from Zayd ibn Ali that Ali ibn al Husayn would gather them on that night, divide the night into 3 parts, pray with them for one part, then make supplication while they said amin, then seek forgiveness and ask for the Garden until daybreak. (Misbah al Mutahajjid p.853)
As Sabzawari al Qummi reports that on the night of the middle of Ramadan it is recommended to pray 100 rakah, in addition to the 1000, reciting Surah al Ikhlas 10 times in each rakah, and on the night of al Fitr to pray 2 rakah, reciting al Ikhlas 1000 times in the first rakah and once in the second.
He also mentions the prayer of al Ghadir on the 18th of Dhu al Hijjah, 2 rakah before zawal, with al Ikhlas, al Qadr and Ayat al Kursi 10 times each in every rakah, and states that it is recommended to perform this prayer in congregation, with audible recitation and a khutbah before it about the praise of Allah, salat upon Muhammad ﷺ and his family, the virtue of the day, and the command to declare the Imamah of Amir al Muminin عليه السلام. (Jami al Khilaf wal Wifaq 1/119)
Full Article
In this hadith there is proof that the Prophet ﷺ is the first who established salat at taraweeh in congregation in the masjid, but he left that out of fear that it would be made obligatory, and hardship would then befall the people.
The people therefore continued upon salat at taraweeh in congregation in the masjid, but they were not all gathered behind a single imam. This is made clear by the report of Abd ar Rahman ibn Abd al Qari that he said: “I went out with Umar ibn al Khattab one night in Ramadan to the masjid, and the people were groups scattered about. A man would be praying for himself, and a man would lead a small group who prayed with his prayer. Umar said: I think that if I gathered these people behind one reciter, it would be better. Then he resolved to do so, and gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Kab (d. 22 AH). Then I went out with him on another night, and the people were praying with the prayer of their reciter. Umar said: This is an excellent innovation, yet the prayer they sleep through is better than the one they are performing, meaning the last part of the night, while the people were performing the prayer at its beginning.” (Sahih al Bukhar 2010)
These two reports: the first one invalidates the Shia claim that taraweeh may not be prayed in congregation in the masjid, and the second one invalidates their claim that salat at taraweeh was not prayed in congregation in the time of Abu Bakr.
For that reason al Hakim an Naysaburi (d. 405 AH) narrated:
آخر ما انتهى إليه علمي من الأحاديث الصحيحة في أبواب كتاب الصيام مما لم يخرجه الشيخان
1650 – ʿAbdullah ibn Muhammad al Balkhi informed us in Baghdad. Abu Ismaʿil al Sulami narrated to us. ʿAbdullah ibn Salih narrated to us. Muʿawiyah ibn Salih narrated to me. Abu Talhah ibn Ziyad al Ansari narrated to me. He said: I heard al Nuʿman ibn Bashir, upon the minbar of Hims, saying: “We stood with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the month of Ramadan on the night of 23 until one third of the night had passed. Then we stood with him on the night of 25 until half of the night had passed.
The wisdom behind the Prophet ﷺ leaving salat at taraweeh in congregation was summarised by ash Shatibi (d. 790 AH), who said: “In this hadith there is that which shows it to be a sunnah, for his initially standing with them is proof of the soundness of standing in the masjid in congregation in Ramadan.
His later refraining from coming out, out of fear that it would be made obligatory, does not show an absolute refraining, because his time was a time of revelation and legislation, and it was possible that if the people persisted upon it, an obligation would be revealed regarding it.
When the cause of legislation ceased with the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the matter returned to its original state, and the permissibility had been established, so there is nothing to abrogate it.
As for why Abu Bakr (d. 13 AH) did not establish that, it was for one of two reasons:
First, that he saw from the people’s standing at the end of the night, and their strength in doing so, that which was better in his view than gathering them behind one imam at the beginning of the night, as at Tartushi (d. 520 AH) mentioned.
Second, that his time was too constricted for examining such subsidiary issues, because of his preoccupation with the people of apostasy and other matters that were more pressing than salat at taraweeh.
Imam Ash Shatibi on Taraweeh & Umar’s Statement
As for the category of what is recommended, it is in no way from the innovations. This becomes clear when examining the examples that are given for it. The prayer of Tarawih in Ramadan in congregation in the masjid was performed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the masjid, and the people gathered behind him.
However, when he feared that it might become obligatory upon the Ummah, he refrained from continuing it. In al Sahih it is reported from Aishah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed one night in the masjid and some people prayed with him. Then he prayed the following night and the number of people increased.
Then on the third or fourth night, they gathered but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. When morning came, he said: I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared it would be made obligatory upon you. And that was in Ramadan. Malik also recorded it in al Muwatta.
Reflect carefully. This hadith indicates that it is Sunnah. His initial leading of them is proof that praying in congregation in the masjid in Ramadan is valid. His later refraining from coming out due to fear of it becoming obligatory does not indicate that he abandoned it absolutely.
His time was a time of revelation and legislation, and it was possible that revelation would come imposing it as an obligation if the people persisted upon it. When the cause of legislation ended with the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the matter returned to its original basis. Its permissibility had already been established, and there is no abrogation for it.
As for Abu Bakr, he did not establish it for one of two reasons.
Either he saw that the people praying at the end of the night, and their strength upon that, was better in his view than gathering them behind a single imam at the beginning of the night. This was mentioned by al Tartushi.
Or his time was too occupied for him to examine such subsidiary matters, due to his engagement with the people of apostasy and other pressing matters that were more urgent than the prayer of Tarawih.
When Islam became firmly established during the time of Umar, and he saw the people in the masjid praying in scattered groups as mentioned in the report, he said: If I gathered the people behind one reciter, it would be better. When that was achieved, he pointed out that their prayer at the end of the night was better. Then the Salaf agreed upon the correctness and approval of that, and the Ummah does not unite upon misguidance.
The scholars of usul have explicitly stated that consensus only occurs based upon a legislative proof.
If it is said that Umar called it an innovation and described it as good when he said: What an excellent innovation this is.
And if a type of innovation is established as commendable in the Sharia, then unrestricted approval of innovations would be established.
The response is that he only called it an innovation in consideration of its apparent form, in that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had left it, and it had not occurred during the time of Abu Bakr. It was not an innovation in its true meaning.
Whoever calls it an innovation from this perspective, there is no dispute over terminology. However, it is not permissible to use it as proof for the permissibility of innovating in the sense under discussion, because that would be a distortion of words from their proper places.
Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would leave an action while loving to perform it, out of fear that the people would perform it and it would become obligatory upon them.
He also forbade continuous fasting out of mercy for the Ummah, and he said: I am not like you. I spend the night with my Lord who feeds me and gives me drink.
After him, the people practised continuous fasting because they understood the underlying reason for the prohibition.
Al I’tisam by ash Shatibi 1/329–333
Ibn Taymiyyah on Umar’s Statement
Shaykh Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
ومن اعتقد أن قول الصاحب حجة، فلا يعتقده إذا خالف الحديث.
Iqtidā as Sirat al Mustaqim li Mukhalafat Ashab al Jahim, Ibn Taymiyyah 2/95
Proof In Shia Books Of Taraweeh
As for what is mentioned in the Shia books, that Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40 AH) forbade the people from salat at taraweeh, so they cried out: “O Umar, O Umar,” this is a weak report.
Ali ibn al Hasan ibn Faddal said, from Ahmad ibn al Hasan, from Amr ibn Saeed al Madaini, from Musaddaq ibn Sadaqah, from Ammar, from Abu Abd Allah who said:
I asked him about the prayer in Ramadan in the masajid. He said: When Amir al Muminin came to al Kufa, he instructed al Hasan ibn Ali to call out to the people: There is no prayer in the month of Ramadan in the masajid in congregation. So al Hasan ibn Ali called out to the people with what Amir al Muminin had instructed him.
When the people heard the words of al Hasan ibn Ali, they cried out: O Umar, O Umar.
When al Hasan returned to Amir al Muminin, he said to him: What is this sound? He replied: O Amir al Muminin, the people are crying out: O Umar, O Umar.
So Amir al Muminin said: Tell them to pray.
Thus, Amir al Muminin, when he objected, objected to the gathering and did not object to the prayer itself. When he saw that the matter would become disturbed for him and that the people would fall into trial, he permitted it and ordered them to pray according to their custom. All of this is clear, and all praise belongs to Allah.
Tahdhib al Ahkam by At Tusi (3/77–78)
In its chain are Musaddaq ibn Sadaqah and Ammar, and both of them are from the Fadhihiyyah, and the Fadhihiyyah are disbelievers.
فمن لم يكن إماميا صحيح العقيدة فهو كافر.
Al Hilli (d. 726 AH) weakened a report merely because there were Fadhihiyyah in its chain.
He says: The report is weak due to the weakness of its chain, for its narrators are Ibn Faddal, from ʿAmr ibn Saʿīd, from Musaddaq ibn Sadaqah, from ʿAmmār.
It has also been said that although those mentioned were Fathiyyah, they are nevertheless attested as trustworthy. Therefore, there is no criticism of their narration, so long as it is not opposed by a sound report.” Thus al Hilli considered the fact that they were Fadhihiyyah to be a basis for weakening them. (even with this understanding the chain becomes weak because there are authentic hadiths of the Shia Imams approving of taraweeh)
al Muʿtabar fi Sharh al Mukhtasar by al Hilli 1/59–60
It has been established that Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه prayed taraweeh in congregation in the masjid.
4620 – Abu al Hasan ibn al Fadl al Qattan in Baghdad informed us, he said: Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Isa ibn Abdak al Razi narrated to us; Abu Amir Amr ibn Tamim narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah ibn Yunus narrated to us; Hammad ibn Shuayb narrated to us, from Ata ibn al Saib, from Abu Abd al Rahman al Sulami, from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
He gathered the reciters in Ramadan and appointed from among them a man to lead the people in 20 rakah. He said: And Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, would perform witr with them.
It was also narrated from another chain from Ali.
as Sunan al Kubra, al Bayhaqi 2/699
As for the Shia books, they are filled with evidences for the permissibility of the night prayer in congregation, let alone the permissibility of standing in the nights of Ramadan, and it suffices here to mention a few of those evidences in brief.
This report is explicit that the Prophet ﷺ used to perform the night prayer and allow the companions to pray behind him, but when they became many he would leave them and enter his house, and he would do what was mentioned repeatedly.
ʿAlī ibn Ibrāhīm narrated from Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā ibn ʿUbayd, from Yūnus, from Abū al ʿAbbās al Baqbāq; and ʿUbayd ibn Zurārah, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to increase in his prayer during the month of Ramadan. When he prayed al ʿatamah, he would pray afterwards. The people would stand behind him, so he would go inside and leave them. Then he would come out again and they would gather and stand behind him, so he would leave them and go inside.
This happened several times. He then said: Do not pray after al ʿatamah (ʿIsha ) outside of the month of Ramadan.
Al Majlisi said the hadith is sahih. It indicates the impermissibility of performing the supererogatory prayer of the month of Ramadan in congregation, and there is no disagreement regarding this among our companions. The general body of the people have acknowledged that it was among the innovations introduced by ʿUmar.
As for his saying, Do not pray after al ʿatamah, it is possible that it is to be understood as referring to prayers other than the established regular supererogatory prayers.
Mirʼāt al-ʻuqūl fī sharḥ akhbār Āl al-Rasūl by al-Majlisī 16/378
Here as Sadiq specified the night prayer in congregation as being in Ramadan, and that prayer is the one known among the people of Islam as salat at taraweeh, without doubt.
Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad narrated from ʿAlī ibn al Ḥakam, from Abān, from ʿAbd al Raḥmān ibn Abī ʿAbd Allāh, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh عليه السلام, who said: Pray with your family in Ramadan the obligatory prayer and the supererogatory prayer, for indeed I do that.
Tahdhib al-ahkam by al-Tusi (3/294)
82 – Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated from ʿAli ibn al Hakam, from Aban, from ʿAbd al Rahman ibn Abi ʿAbd Allah, from Abu ʿAbd Allah عليه السلام, who said:
‘Pray with your family in Ramadan, both the obligatory prayer and the voluntary prayer, for indeed I do that.’
Al Majlisi says it is authenticated and reliable, close to being sahih.
And if this report contains a prohibition of prayer after salat al Isha in other than Ramadan, then the Shia books have transmitted from Ali ibn al Husayn (d. 95 AH) that he prayed in congregation after salat al Isha on the night of the middle of Shaaban.
At Tusi (d. 460 AH) said: “Zayd ibn Ali (d. 122 AH) narrated that Ali ibn al Husayn (d. 95 AH) used to gather all of us on the night of the middle of Shaaban, then divide the night into three parts. He would pray with us for one part, then make supplication and we would say amin to his supplication, then he would seek forgiveness of Allah and we would seek it, and ask Him for the Garden until daybreak appeared.”
Misbah al Mutahajjid by Al Tusi page 853
Jami al Khilaf wal Wifaq, as Sabzawari al Qummi 1/119
